Just A Few Pointers
by Myareska
Summary: It didn't take long for Weiss Schnee to be sick of Jaune Arc's constant attempts at courting her, but when the young blond approaches her regarding something other than a date, what does this mean for the Schnee heiress? A tale of an unlikely friendship, and an even less likely romance. White Knight.
1. Request

**Hello one and all, and welcome to Just A Few Pointers!**

 **Before you guys begin reading, there's just a one thing that I, the author, wish to point out to you guys: This is not strictly a romance fic. So you can expect plenty of humor, tragedy, adventure, and heartbreak throughout this story if you continue reading.**

 **That being said, this story is going to be predominantly Jaune/Weiss (White Knight, or whatever people call it) So if you ship something else (like I'm sure most of you do), you may want to turn back now - while you still can.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

Weiss stood with her back straight, blade at the ready. She evened out her breathing, only taking short, necessary breaths. A part of her wanted to take one deep calming breath, but she wouldn't allow it. Even the slightest err in her technique might mean life or death.

Or maybe she was just being over-dramatic? It was just a training match, after all.

Although her breathing was controlled, it wasn't as if the white haired girl could control her own rapidly beating heart. Weiss couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of sparring with someone who might be able to pose a challenge - no one so far besides Pyrrha Nikos had been able to best her in their first week at Beacon Academy.

Her current opponent stood across the ring from her; Russel Thrush, a member of Team CRDL. She didn't know much about the boy, or his teammates – they'd mostly kept to themselves all throughout the first week of classes at Beacon. Perhaps they had things to sort out as well, much like her own team?

 _'Not my team's issues.'_ Weiss thought, reminding herself. ' _I'm the reason there were issues in the first place._ '

The girl had originally thought that her leader – Ruby – was immature, childish and ultimately incapable of being the head of a team of prospective huntresses. After Weiss discussed the matter with Professor Port, however, she realized that it was herself that had been acting childish – throwing a fit over not getting what she wanted.

She resolved to be the best teammate ever – a new goal. Something to work towards. A _challenge_.

Weiss watched as Russel bounced from foot to foot, waiting for their match to begin. ' _He's wasting so much energy doing that. Inefficient_.'

"Begin!" the feminine voice of Professor Goodwitch called from the side.

With a shout, Russel flung himself forward, both of his daggers held in front of him, ready to strike.

' _So obvious._ '

Weiss backstepped, preparing for a lunge. Right when Russel was about to land, the white haired girl rushed forwards, propelling herself with a glyph.

The boy with the mohawk had to bring his knives crossed in front of him in order to block – exactly what Weiss had wanted to bait out of him. She activated the Frost Dust in one of her rapier's chambers, and met his combined blades.

With his daggers – as well as his hands – frozen together, Russel was forced to retreat. He crouched down on one knee, and smacked the ice into the ground, shattering it. With a scowl, he renewed his assault, running forwards again.

' _He's a slow learner, it seems._ ' As the dagger-wielder got closer, Weiss flipped over him, swiping the tip of her blade across his back as he passed. The heiress felt Myrtenaster brush against the boys aura, but she didn't dare look to see how much she'd shaved off his bar. Instead, with the assistance of another glyph, Weiss lunged, scoring a powerful blow on the boy's unprotected back.

The force of the glyph-assisted blow pressing against the boy's aura sent him flying into the transparent barrier surrounding the arena. It was an elimination by ring-out, if anything. Knowing the fight was over, Weiss checked the screens to the side to see what the aura meters were like.

Weiss' was barely depleted, not even a sliver gone – Russel hadn't landed a single blow, so the loss was strictly from her glyph usage.

The bar underneath the picture of her opponent was another story however. It was a deep orange, more than half of the bar gone. She was sure another blow would have ended the fight, even if she didn't win by ring-out. It seemed the boy didn't have much for aura reserves. ' _And he was still fighting so recklessly?_ '

"The winner is Miss Schnee." The blonde professor called from the side, walking forwards as the lighting returned to the area around the arena. "Well done Miss Schnee."

"Thank you, Professor Goodwitch" Weiss accepted the complement with a bow, before walking over to her opponent, and offering him a hand up. Russel accepted it with a groan.

It couldn't hurt to be nice to the guy – so long as he didn't end up like that Jaune fellow.

"Mr. Thrush," the combat class' instructor continued, "You're being far too reckless, considering how low your aura reserves are. Your... _technique_... may have worked during initiation while you had others supporting you, but when you are alone – without back-up – you will need to fight more conservatively."

"Got it." The mohawked boy nodded, "Thanks."

"Alright. The two of you clear the floor." Professor Goodwitch turned to regard the rest of the first year class as Weiss and Russel began to climb the stairs back up to the viewing area, "For our next bout, we have Jaune Arc versus... Yang Xiao Long..."

' _Oh, that's going to be over in seconds_.' Weiss thought, as she saw Yang stand quickly. Yang gave Weiss a smile as the heiress continued to climb the stairs.

"Hey," the buxom girl said as Weiss walked down the row towards where Team RWBY had been sitting, "Maybe he'll dedicate this match to you, if you're lucky."

Weiss rolled her eyes at that, "Please don't give him any ideas; he's already asked me out ten times in the past three days."

Yang gave an unladylike snort as the two girls passed each other, "I'll give him your love, don't worry 'Snow Angel'."

The white-haired girl scoffed at that, "If by 'love', you mean some blunt force trauma, be my guest. And don't call me that."

"Sure thing, _Ice Queen_."

Weiss huffed as she sat between Ruby and her other teammate, Blake.

"You know she's just trying to get you riled up, right?" Her black-haired teammate asked.

"Of course I do; I just don't know why."

"Guys, shh. Yang and Jaune's match is about to start." Ruby whispered.

"Thirty seconds before Arc hits the floor." Weiss heard Cardin Winchester call from a couple rows behind them.

"Thirty? That's generous. I give him ten." One of the other members of CRDL – either Dove or Sky, added.

Weiss noticed Ruby's hands curl into fists, likely at the jeering and laughs coming from a couple rows up.

The white haired rapier wielder wasn't sure exactly what Ruby saw in the blonde buffoon – Jaune, of course, not Ruby's sister, Yang.

Sure, he was the leader of Team JNPR, but Weiss was almost certain that he deserved his leadership position less than she'd originally thought Ruby had. From all her interactions with Jaune – and there'd been many, none of them welcome – Weiss was certain he was a natural born idiot. Not unintelligent or anything like that, but just... simple?

That, and he was on the same team as _Pyrrha Nikos_. How was Jaune made the leader, when there was someone much more capable – more competent – on the same team?

Watching the blonde from up above, Weiss could at least tell he wasn't a complete failure – the worried expression on his face at going against Yang was a clear indication of that.

"Are the fighters ready?" Professor Goodwitch asked, looking between the two combatants. Yang nodded, her gauntlets extended in full form. Jaune, on the other hand, was fiddling with some straps on his armor.

"Just a moment." the boy called out, "I can't... get... this..." With a final tug, he was apparently satisfied. "There we go. Yeah, I'm good."

Even Miss Goodwitch had her doubts, apparently. "If you're sure..." The blonde professor backed to the side of the arena, raising the protective bubble once more.

"Begin!"

Yang quickly closed the distance between the two blondes, and released a haymaker towards Jaune. In a pathetic attempt for a block, the blonde boy raised his shield.

' _This is already over._ ' The match had been decided the moment Jaune decided to act solely on the defensive, much like every other match Yang participated in. ' _He might have had a chance if he went to meet her attack, but... What?_ '

To Weiss' surprise, Jaune didn't go flying out of the arena – in fact, the boy didn't even budge. Not an inch. "But how?" Weiss whispered.

Even Blake, sitting next to her, was surprised. "He actually managed to block that?"

"Didn't you guys see it during initiation?" Ruby asked. "I mean, I didn't either, we were too busy dealing with the Giant Nevermore. But apparently Jaune blocked a swipe from one of the Deathstalker's huge pincers."

"Yeah, I bet. Did he tell you that himself?" Weiss asked doubtfully, watching as Yang backed away with a series of hops, her face scrunched in confusion.

Weiss could hear Ruby's smile "No, actually. Pyrrha told me."

Hmm. Weiss was going to have to take Ruby's word for it.

' _Well, that doesn't mean he isn't an idiot_.'

"Ruby, you know him better, but..." Blake leaned forwards to get a better look. "Isn't Jaune right-handed?"

Ruby hummed in thought before responding, "Yeah, he is. Why?"

"He's using his shield in his right hand against Yang." Blake commented, nodding to herself. "That's... actually pretty clever. Using his dominant hand for his defensive weapon, against a more powerful opponent."

" _Jaune Arc_." Weiss started. "Clever? I didn't know you were a comedian, Blake."

"All I know, is that ten seconds have passed, and Jaune hasn't gone down yet." Ruby mentioned excitedly, before whispering " _Make them eat their words, Jaune_."

Ignoring her teammate, and the chattering all around her, Weiss decided to focus her attention back on the two students on the arena floor.

With his sword at the ready, Jaune shuffled closer to Yang. Weiss – although she refused to admit it – was impressed. The boy was taking his time, and with his shield raised, he wasn't giving Yang a decent opportunity to attack.

Or, at least, that's what Weiss thought initially.

Yang took off like a bullet, and sprinted towards Jaune's left. As the blonde boy turned with her, Weiss saw him stumble, tripping up over his own feet. Yang must have noticed it as well, and cut abruptly, changing direction to confront Jaune directly.

After a short combo, Yang was literally right on top of Jaune, straddling him, feeding him her fists. After a good ten punches or so, Yang stopped, looking to Goodwitch, as if to ask her why she hadn't called the match.

The professor didn't say a word, instead gesturing with her riding crop towards the screen above, where Jaune Arc's aura meter was.

It was resting at half. ' _After that beat down, he was only at half?_ '

Jaune had lost his first match against one of the other students by ring-out, so Weiss - and apparently everyone else - had been unaware just how much aura the boy had.

Yang gave Jaune an experimental punch, and everyone watched as the bar barely moved. She wasn't even looking at Jaune as she pelted him repeatedly, the blonde boy trying to form words through the mouthfuls of fist.

Finally, around fifteen light jabs later, Professor Goodwitch called the match, seeing as Jaune's Aura finally dipped into the red. Yang helped the defeated boy to her feet, giving him a clap on the back as he dusted himself off.

"Well, to quote Yang, 'that was a thing'." Blake commented, her voice breaking through the murmur that went up around them – as well as the laughter heard from behind where the girls sat. Team CRDL again.

Weiss was forced to agree. "Yeah, but he still didn't stand a chance against Yang. He's going to have to take major strides if he wants to get better."

"Silence, class." Professor Goodwitch ordered. Everyone fell silent, lest they invoke their instructor's wrath. "Thank you."

The huntress cleared her throat before regarding Yang. "Miss Xiao Long. I appreciate you gauging your opponents strengths this match; however, you also gave Mr. Arc too much time to recover. Try to find the middle ground, and you will be a much more effective fighter."

Yang gave the blonde huntress a thumbs up. "You got it, teach!"

If the professor was annoyed at Yang's casual manner, she didn't show it, instead turning to Yang's prior opponent. "Now then, Mr. Arc." Weiss had to prepare herself, and she wasn't even the one on the receiving end of the upcoming verbal beat down.

Goodwitch sighed. "It's an improvement over your last bout. You've got solid basics. Work on your footing, and you'll be a competent huntsman yet. But please, do try and fight back the next time you're in such a... compromising position."

' _Wow'_ That certainly hadn't been what Weiss had expected. Or Blake. Or Ruby, for that matter, from the excited expression on her face.

Weiss frowned as she saw Jaune's elated reaction. Maybe if he stopped asking her out, Weiss may have to change her opinion of the boy.

But only _if_.

* * *

"Hey Weiss, have you seen my hairbrush? I left it on the bathroom counter here."

The white haired girl had no qualms with Yang as a person – only, she could be... a little difficult as a roommate. She left stuff everywhere, and anything Weiss tried to organize, was promptly _disorganized_. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve her growing headache. "I put it in one of the drawers. Second one down, on the left"

"Oh, there it is. Thanks, Weiss-cream."

Oh, and if she could stop with the nicknames, that would be great.

Weiss fell back onto her mattress, tired from a long day. She had the weekend to look forward to, however. A quiet time of rest and recuperation. Oum knew she needed it.

"Having a hard time?" another voice called, from the bed across from hers. Weiss sat up, and saw Blake, peering over the top of a book she was reading.

The heiress could only sigh, before answering honestly. "Not entirely. But ever since initiation, everything's been just a rush. Like, I fought that Boarbatusk in Port's class on day one, Oobleck's history class has me constantly doing something during my downtime. It doesn't help that any time I think I may finally be able to catch a break, Jaune Arc shows up, asking me out on a date. I'm just really, _really_ looking forward to having some time to myself tomorrow."

Blake chuckled at that, "You don't actually think your going to be getting any rest tomorrow, do you?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about? It's the weekend – we don't have any classes or anything."

Blake's amber eyes seemed to shimmer. "That's exactly it. It's the _weekend_. Ruby already warned me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked.

Just then, Yang decided to come out of the bathroom, humming a tune while brushing her hair. Ruby went past her, closing herself in and turning on the shower. "Say, Blake, want to head into Vale with me tomorrow? Ruby can't, she needs to head to the forge to do maintenance on Crescent Rose in the morning. There's this really cool place I want to check out, and I want someone to come with. We could make it a partner thing! It'll be great!"

Blake shot Weiss a look from over top of her book, before she closed it and put it down next to her. Turning her attention to Yang. "Sorry, Yang, no can do. I've still got Oobleck's history paper to work on – if I don't get it done tomorrow, I won't have it done before the deadline."

Weiss could tell it was an obvious lie; the deadline was Tuesday. The blonde, however, still brushing her hair, nodded. "That's too bad. What about you Weiss?"

' _Oh no, please no. I just want to relax, please Oum don't do this to me_.'

"I'll have to pass as well. I've got something important to take care of tomorrow... as well." Weiss finished awkwardly.

Yang didn't buy it, however, as she had a broad smile on her face as she leaned against the bedpost. "Aww, come on Weiss! What could be as important as spending some quality time with your favorite teammate?"

Weiss hadn't planned for Yang to press the issue – she'd been expecting her to take the bait, much like she had with Blake.

But what could she say that would appease Yang? She could play it off as being something to do family, but that would just backfire - she'd have to lie even more to cover it up. She couldn't use Oobleck's history paper as an excuse, like Blake did; Weiss had already finished it, and the rest of her team already knew that.

Weiss paused, with her mouth open, and Yang waited eagerly for her response.

Perhaps by some kind of divine intervention, there was a knock at the door.

Yang tilted her head, as if she wasn't going to answer the door until she got something out of Weiss.

A moment passed, as Weiss and Yang stared each other down, neither willing to budge.

"Are you going to answer that, Yang?" Blake asked.

The knock repeated, and Yang sighed. "Yeah, I guess I have to, now don't I?"

Weiss mouthed a quick 'thank you' to Blake as soon as Yang turned, while the bow-wearing ravenette sent her a quick wink over the book she had begun to read once more.

Yang opened the door, and excitedly greeted whoever it was that came knocking at seven in the evening.

"Oh, hey Jaune! Am I ever glad to see _you_."

Oh Oum, please. Anything but that. Anyone but _him_.

"Uh... really?" Weiss heard the awkward boy ask through the doorway.

"Of course! I mean, I did punch you in the face like forty times earlier today, but right now you are like, my most favorite person ever! What can I do for you?"

"I was actually wondering if Weiss was here. I need to ask her something."

Yang slowly turned her head, making eye contact with the heiress. Weiss shook her head 'no', but that only caused a manically evil grin to spread across Yang's face, "Yeah, I can arrange that for you."

Weiss didn't know exactly how it happened. In her tired state, it all happened much too quickly. One moment, she was sitting on her mattress, and the next, she was on her feet, standing in the hallway with one shocked looking Jaune Arc.

Locked out of her dorm room, of course. She'd left her scroll on her pillow.

"Uh... hey Weiss."

She _really_ didn't need this right now.

"Jaune." The white haired girl almost spat his name, "What do you want?"

"... I'm sorry, uhh... did I catch you at a bad time?"

Weiss opened her mouth, about to rant and rave about just how _bad_ a time it was, before she realized what exactly she was about to do. She looked into his eyes, and saw that she'd already hurt him with the tone in which she spoke. She hadn't meant to do that.

Weiss didn't necessarily like the guy, but she could at least afford to be nice to him.

It's what Ruby would have wanted, anyways.

"Actually, I'm the one who should apologize. I'm... a little stressed right now. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I'm sorry."

Jaune raised his hands as if to placate her. "Nah, it's okay. I get it. Stuff like this happened all the time back home."

Weiss supposed that would be a story for another time – if she cared enough to listen to it. "So, Jaune...?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, what I'm here for." Jaune cleared his throat, as he stood straighter, and put his shoulders back.

' _Oh boy, here he goes again._ ' This was just like the myriad other times the blonde had asked her out on a date. She should commend him for his resolve – if it just hadn't annoyed her so much.

"So... uhh... Weiss... I was wondering if uhh... tomorrow..."

' _Oum this is painful_.' Weiss had to interrupt. "Just spit it out already, Arc."

"I was wondering if you could help me train tomorrow?" Jaune got out hurriedly, "Just in the morning, until around noon. I don't want to take up too much of your time."

"Sorry Jaune, but I really..."

Wait a minute, did he just...?

"What did you just ask me?"

"I wanted to know if you could help me train. But if it's too much of an inconvenience..."

Weiss held up a finger, "Can you just wait one second?" The heiress knocked on her door, and Yang opened it slightly.

"What's the password?" Yang whispered in a robotic tone, prompting a laugh from Ruby, who'd likely just got out of the shower.

"When are you leaving tomorrow, Yang? For Vale." Weiss whispered back.

"I'm going to wake up bright and early, six in the morning. Don't want to waste daylight, now do I?"

Weiss pulled the door closed, getting an indignant 'Hey!' from her blonde teammate, which she barely heard through the door.

"I'll do it. When do you want to start?" Weiss asked, turning to Jaune with a cheery expression on her face. ' _Two can play this game, Xiao Long._ '

Jaune rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, to be honest, with you turning me down every time I asked you on a date, I didn't really expect you to accept my request to train with you. I don't exactly have a set time. When works for you?"

"Want to meet at training room two at about five-thirty?" Weiss smiled – an honest smile. ' _Oh, how the tables have turned, Yang._ '

"It's a bit early, but that's fine with me. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing, I'll see you tomorrow morning Jaune. Goodnight."

She watched as the blonde boy let himself back into his own dorm room – the one directly across the hall.

This was absolutely perfect. She now had an actual excuse to avoid going to Vale with Yang tomorrow. She was trading what would likely be a full day of walking, talking, and possibly even _fighting_ , for a few hours of helping someone she didn't exactly get along with, with their training.

She wasn't her father, but at the very least, she clearly knew what deal was better for her own benefit.

Weiss turned and knocked on Team RWBY's door lightly. It opened a crack, and Weiss used one of her glyphs to slam it open. The door hit Yang's head with a satisfying thunk as it swung open. The brawler feigned pain as she clutched her head, though she was unable to hide the trickster's smile she wore.

"So how did it go, _Snow Angel_? Our brave knight finally snag the princess?" Yang half teased.

Weiss wore a comfortable smile as she walked over to her dresser, pulling out her nightgown. "Oh, I don't know. He might have just done that. I'm going to get some sleep, After all, I've got to wake up early tomorrow; for our date." Weiss teased back.

"No _way._ You totally didn't just agree to go out on a date with Jaune, did you?" Ruby asked, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she hung off the top bunk. Weiss almost chuckled. Did Ruby actually have a crush on the guy? Or maybe she was still heated from the quick shower she had.

If she did have a crush, Weiss would have thought it adorable; if it hadn't been on Jaune Arc.

"Nope." Weiss quickly got changed into her sleepwear, missing the sigh of relief from Ruby "However, Yang, just so you know? I _am_ going to be busy tomorrow, so you'll need to find someone else to go to Vale with you."

The white haired heiress lay back on her bed, with her head resting on her pillow. She pulled the covers over herself, prepared for a good night's sleep. With her eyes closed, Weiss couldn't see the massive grin on Yang's face.

"Oh well, that's too bad. I guess that means we can go on Sunday then."

Weiss' eyes snapped open, and she turned to Yang with her mouth agape. The gauntlet user stood next to Weiss' bed, posing triumphantly.

"And that's checkmate, bitches." Yang stated.

Weiss buried her face in her hands. "Oh you have got to be kidding me."

* * *

 **Fun fact: I enjoy making my protagonists' lives hell. If you came here after reading some of 'Technician' (my other story) you might know that already.**

 **That, and Weiss is so much fun to pick on. She's just too easy.**

 **Feel free to let me know what you liked or disliked in a review or PM. Also, feel free to point out any grammatical errors you guys find; after all, in the words of Weiss: "I'm not perfect. ...Not yet."**


	2. Intensive Training

**If I'm being perfectly honest, there's something I don't like about this chapter, but I can't even put my finger on it; I took it in the direction I wanted it to go, and I wrote what I wanted to, but something still feels... _off_.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Weiss' alarm turned off almost as quickly as it had went on; the Schnee heiress reacting as quick as she could, despite just waking up. She lay in silence for but a moment, her hand still resting on top of her alarm clock. She didn't dare move, first wanting to confirm that she hadn't woken anyone else up.

Just because they knew she was doing something didn't mean Weiss wanted her team aware. Nor did she want to disturb their rest.

There was no motion or noise from Ruby's bunk above – a good thing, as the girl practically slept like a rock. Yang's bunk, on the contrary was the opposite of Ruby's. The blonde snored loudly whilst rolled around, searching for comfort, yet not finding any. Blake was sprawled out haphazardly, almost falling out of her bed.

Weiss waited a few more moments, patiently, in case one of her teammates had just been feigning their deep slumber. Unfortunately, their habits weren't all yet known to the heiress; they'd only spent just over a week together, after all. The white haired girl slipped out from underneath her covers, and stalked towards the washroom. She made sure to grab her day clothes along the way, so she could put them on while inside.

The heiress dressed herself quickly, putting her hair up into her regular ponytail. Weiss then slid one of the drawers open, pulling her make-up case right from where she left it. Yang may make fun of her for being so organized, but being organized made her more efficient.

As she reached for one of her brushes, she had a thought, ' _Why am I putting on make-up? I'm just going to go help Jaune with training_.' The routine had been drilled in her for years. Wake up, dress, hair, make-up...

But... why was she questioning it now? Was she really going to go out of her way to _not_ do something she'd done time and time again, each and every day?

Better yet, was she going to let some blonde fool be the one who changed it? Weiss didn't think so.

With an ease borne of years of practice and application, she had a face befitting a movie star in under six minutes. Not that she wasn't naturally pretty or anything, but Weiss wouldn't allow herself to be that confident. Besides, she had an image to uphold.

She knew what being overconfident does to people – _did_ to people.

Weiss looked in the mirror, smiling. But the eyes she saw staring back were lying. She'd seen those eyes before.

She was _not_ her father.

Weiss turned off the bathroom light. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness before opening the door back into the room, rather than using her scroll's flashlight. It was a neat little trick Winter taught her, for when she wanted to sneak out.

Of course, Weiss had been caught the first time she tried it – Winter had told on her, but there were no hard feelings between the two of them.

Her elder sister simply said to " _Try harder next time_ ".

Weiss softly stepped across the floor. The girl wasn't going to put her boots on until she made it out the door, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise.

She made sure door was carefully closed behind her; Weiss wouldn't dare mess it up in the last moments, and risk waking her team just for them to figure out exactly what happened – and the measures she went through just to avoid waking them up.

What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Or maybe she was just being over-dramatic again?

"A little early to be up on a Saturday, Miss Schnee?"

The sudden observation almost made the heiress jump out of her skin. She turned in the direction of the voice, reaching for Myrtenaster, only to find it wasn't at her hip – Team RWBY, much like the other students, had left their weapons in the locker room.

But despite her sudden surprise, Weiss breathed a a sigh of relief. Quickly, she recovered some semblance of figure and form, curtsying as she greeted the man, "Oh, good morning Headmaster Ozpin."

The much taller man took a sip from his mug of coffee. The aroma hit Weiss like a brick. ' _Oh what I wouldn't give for some of that right now_.' Now that she was 'safely' out of her dorm, her exhaustion from the previous day was catching up to her.

"Good morning." The man pulled his sleeve back with his free hand, checking his watch. With his head still tilted down, he looked up to Weiss, and rose an eyebrow.

Oh, right, explanation. "I'm helping... a _friend._ " Saying the word made her cringe inwardly. She didn't actually consider Jaune a friend, but what else could she call him? "With some training. He wanted to start early today. I got up even earlier, hoping to grab something from the cafeteria before we started."

"Ah," the headmaster nodded as if everything made sense. "Well, if it's Mr. Arc you're helping this morning, he's already down in training room two. I was watching him run laps, but I soon grew bored and decided I'd patrol the halls until the sun came up."

"But it's only five o'clock..." Weiss said, although it was more to herself, "Why is he already there?" She'd hoped to be there when Jaune showed up – in fact, the heiress had expected him to be late, more than anything.

The white haired girl yawned, before she covered it up quickly, having almost forgotten that the headmaster was literally right in front of her.

 _'Oh how embarrassing_.' Weiss could hear the vague echo of her sister's voice as she mocked her mentally.

But to Weiss' surprise, the huntsman in charge of Beacon Academy simply said. "If you'd like some coffee, Miss Schnee, there's a fresh pot in the teacher's lounge. Well," The teacher raised his mug, taking another sip, "Mostly fresh?"

In the teacher's lounge? "But that's off limits to students. It's against the school rules."

The silver haired man raised an eyebrow as if he was saying 'and who's school is this, exactly?'

"Right, never mind. I'll go get some coffee. Thanks, Headmaster."

The tall man smiled, and lifted his mug in a mock toast, "Just make sure Miss Goodwitch doesn't catch you. I'd give you written permission if I could, but alas, I have no paper."

The girl afforded herself a light smile. "I'll be careful, Headmaster."

Weiss practically glided away, making as little sound as she could as she made her way towards the teachers lounge.

With the Schnee heiress now quite the distance away, Ozpin let out a hearty chuckle. "I do hope she hurries. I don't bore easily. How many laps could he have run by now?"

The man let out another chuckle, as he walked the other way. He swirled what remained of his sustenance, before downing the whole mug.

He stood there for a moment, staring into the lightly stained ceramic.

Then, Ozpin sighed.

"I guess I'll start a pot in the kitchens. I'm sure the cooks won't mind."

* * *

The heiress watched from a side bench in training room two as Jaune continued to run. It wasn't yet five thirty, and the blonde hadn't seemed to notice her – which was odd, seeing as he'd passed her by roughly fifteen times at the least. As such, Weiss was quite content to sit, sipping at her coffee.

Weiss had yet to have been in one of Beacon's training rooms, but she found it rather... typical? There was a short track around the outside, for running, with a sparring area dead in the middle. Along the far wall from the door, there was an assortment of weights and weight-lifting machines, separated from the main sparring area by the running track. Benches lined either side of the track, and Weiss was seated on the inside, between the track and the sparring ring.

When she'd been in the teacher's lounge earlier, she'd expected to find some foam cups, capable of holding the hot liquid. Searching through the cupboards near the coffee station proved itself a fruitless search. Instead, Weiss took a chance, liberating one of the mugs she'd seen teachers use time and time again.

After doctoring up the brew to her preference – two sugars, no cream – Weiss had stopped by the locker room, picking up Myrtenaster. The girl assumed Jaune would want to spar at the least, and wanted to make sure she was ready for that.

Weiss began to notice the blonde slow – no doubt fatigued from the effort he'd put into the laps he'd been running. She looked up to the clock on the wall, watching as the minute hand ticked to the twenty-five mark.

The Schnee supposed the boy could use a five minute break; at least. She needed to him describe what exactly he needed help with anyways. "Hey Jaune, are you done yet?" Weiss called out, noticing the boy stumble as he finally realized she was there.

' _How did he not even notice me for that long?_ '

"Hey... Weiss..." The boy called out, between labored breaths. "How long..." Jaune took one deep breath – in and out – as he got closer, "How long were you there for?"

Weiss looked up at the clock again, although she didn't need to; the heiress knew exactly how long she'd been waiting for the blonde to finish running. "About ten minutes. How long were you running for?"

Jaune had looked up at the clock when she did, and was able to answer quickly. "Fifty five minutes."

' _So he's been up since four thirty at the latest_.' Weiss noted mentally. Keeping up her stern exterior, Weiss nodded. "That's quite some time."

Her fellow student waved it off though, "Ah, this is nothing. Apparently my grandfather had been able to run an hour without pause, and still have plenty of energy to spare. In his prime, of course."

Weiss heard his words, but she didn't listen. She wasn't here for small talk. There was a brief silence as she didn't respond to his previous comment. "So, you said you wanted my help with your training. Why?"

Jaune looked to his feet, although whether it was in nervousness or shame, Weiss couldn't tell.

She swore, if this was just some sort of ploy to get her interested in him, she was leaving.

But that could wait. Right now, he was someone who asked for her help – if he really wanted to improve, he needed to work towards it.

And despite everything Weiss saw 'wrong' with the boy, the way his shirt clung to him – damp – proved that he was indeed willing to work.

"Yeah..." Jaune sighed, pushing his sweaty blonde locks back. "To be honest, I... I _suck_."

He wasn't wrong, but was she _really_ going to have to deal with this?

"Yes. You do." Jaune visibly deflated at her words, as if she poked a balloon with a pin, "You lack any real talent, nor do you show any trace of skill – actually, if it wasn't for your monstrous amounts of aura, I'd be questioning the idiot who let you into this academy in the first place.

"But..." What Weiss was doing was risky... but... ' _Break them down, then build them back up_.' "You can be more than what you are. What you think you can do."

' _Little white lies and half truths can take you a great distance_.' "You must have heard them yesterday, right? The laughing after Yang beat you down?"

Jaune nodded somberly.

"They were not laughing because you're a failure, Jaune. Their laughs were uncertain – they were concerned; concerned that one day, they might lose to you. And that day will come. I mean, if you can block one of Yang's punches, then there's hope for you yet." It was an empty promise, but if she could get Jaune over this hump, he'd get better.

"You think so?"

"Yes, Jaune. I do think so. You do too, don't you? You wouldn't be out here running at five in the morning if you didn't."

He nodded, more confidently this time. "Right."

"So, what do you need help with then?" Weiss certainly hoped the boy had some sort of plan. He wouldn't have asked her otherwise... Right?

"Everything." The blonde stated.

... _Wrong_.

Weiss brought her hand to her face, burying her annoyed expression in her palm. "You know what? How about I take charge here, because I clearly know what I'm doing."

Jaune quickly nodded his agreement, likely wanting to leave his training in more capable hands.

Weiss' first exercise for Jaune would at least allow her a little stress relief, even if Jaune was just going to be her punching bag – or maybe like a training dummy? She'd be using her sword, after all.

"This exercise is going to be the most grueling thing you've ever experienced." Weiss stated slowly, and she noticed Jaune shudder slightly. ' _Oh he has no idea what's coming, does he?_ ' "Draw your sword, and _only_ your sword. If you use your shield, this exercise is kind of redundant."

Weiss drew her rapier, and walked into the sparring ring, settling into a ready stance. The heiress made sure they were far away from the benches, the two students standing in the middle of the ring. "Now then, Jaune. Keep your legs straight, shoulder length apart. Tell me when you're comfortable."

Jaune shuffled around a little, settling into a rough approximation of a fighting stance. "Yeah, I think I'm good."

Weiss smiled, and Jaune smiled back – unknowing the true intentions behind Weiss' grin. "Alright, now bend your knees, just so they're not locked straight." Jaune did so.

"… Okay, now what?"

With a wave of her hand, Weiss activated the glyph she casted under Jaune. Utilizing the Frost Dust from Myrtenaster, she froze his legs, from just below his knees to the floor.

"Uh... Weiss? I can't move my feet."

"Perfect. Then that means it's time for your first lesson: 'Parry every blow you can. If you can't parry it, block; if you can't block it, dodge; if you can't dodge it, receive.' That is what I learned – it is how I fight."

Weiss was surprised at the resolve the blonde had in his blue eyes. However, that resolve was quickly replaced by confusion. "What do you mean, 'receive'?"

Weiss had to keep the smile off her face, ' _Didn't I ask the same question?_ ' "You'll figure it out eventually. Just remember to keep your knees bent."

Weiss dashed forwards, aiming at Jaune's core. Despite the sudden attack, the boy who was frozen in place managed to swing his sword, it's path intersecting with Weiss' thrust just as she about to make contact.

The light sound of metal on metal ringed about the air. "Good," Weiss remarked. "At least you're not hopeless."

"Oh come on. You came straight for me, of course I could deflect that."

' _Oh? Feeling a little over-confident?_ ' "That was half speed, Arc." While it wasn't the truth, she didn't exactly want to crush his dreams – It had actually been roughly a quarter of the effort she put in her usual strikes. "But, if that was too easy for you, let's try something else."

Weiss saw the blonde gulp as she slowly moved to the blonde's right – his sword hand. The heiress lunged again, and Jaune deflected it, though she noticed how he strained against the ice holding him in place.

"So, what was it you called me again?" The white haired girl spoke as he moved around behind him. He tried to track her, having to turn his head to keep an eye on her. Weiss couldn't help but get a little revenge on the blonde for all those times he'd pestered her. He did ask for this, after all. " _Snow Angel_ , was it?"

"Uh, yeah." Jaune said nervously, "Because you dress all in white, and- oh great and mighty Oum have mercy!" Weiss had interrupted the boy with a quick slash towards his vulnerable left side – or so she thought. He'd switched sword hands as she moved around, and the girl hadn't even noticed.

However, what Weiss _did_ notice, was that Jaune was forced to block the slash, rather than parrying it. Weiss applied a little more strength, and Jaune pushed back in return, despite being tragically off balance with his feet stuck in place. "So Ruby wasn't wrong, you _are_ right handed."

The boy pushed her back with a mighty shove. "Yeah, that's right. Did you guys think otherwise?" Weiss noticed that Jaune had started sweating again.

"During your match with Yang, you used your shield with your right, instead of your left. Blake pointed it out." Weiss was now standing right behind Jaune, and she could tell just how uncomfortable that was making him; after all, it had been pretty brutal for her when she had gone through the same training.

Weiss moved around so she was back in front of the blonde – he wasn't ready to be attacked from behind yet. She'd keep to the front and sides for now.

She wasn't _that_ vindictive about all the times he'd asked her out.

"Blake... She's the one with the black hair and the ribbon, right?"

"Yeah." Weiss confirmed, lunging from the front again – this time, faster. She felt her blade contact the boy's aura right before she would have hit his shoulder, and backed off. Jaune hadn't been able to react fast enough, and she knew why exactly.

"You're paying too much attention to my blade. Keep your eyes on my chest; you should be able to read me better that way."

Jaune tilted his head at that, narrowing his eyes. "...Okay?"

Satisfied that she had Jaune's agreement, Weiss prepared for another lunge. She went forwards with the same speed as before, and Jaune surprised her by dodging the next strike, although he had to contort himself uncomfortably, and nearly fell over; the only thing actually stopping him from hitting the ground was the ice that rooted him to the floor, and the blonde holding a hand out to stop his top half from hitting the ground.

"It would have been easier to block that one, Jaune."

"Alright." The blonde pushed himself back into a standing position.

Weiss attacked from the left next, and Jaune parried it with his sword – but this time while the blade was in his right hand.

As time progressed, they moved through what Weiss considered a basic pattern; the heiress lunged, stabbed, and slashed from each side, aiming both high and low. She began throwing in attacks from behind as well, if only to disrupt the rhythm the blonde boy had unknowingly fell into. He was beginning to get to comfortable – Weiss ramped up her pace.

Weiss noticed that Jaune started 'receiving' blows as well; allowing them to hit, but shying away from them so they didn't have as much impact. Something that was possible only because of Aura.

After roughly an hour of constant movement, the ice holding Jaune down shattered – likely a result of the strain his movements caused on his immobile legs. The blonde fell flat on his rear. Odds were his legs were unable to support him after what Weiss just put him through.

If he was feeling anything like Weiss had after her first time going through 'lockdown', he probably wasn't going to be able to stand unassisted for a couple hours.

And Weiss hadn't ran for almost an hour before her training. ' _Maybe I'm being too hard on him? This training wasn't meant to be done for such a long period of time_.'

Jaune crawled over to a side bench – probably not even wanting to _try_ walking. "Never again." He groaned.

' _Oh come on, he can't give up now. Not after going through that!_ ' "What do you mean, 'Never again'?" Weiss – now sweating after an hour of constant assault herself – walked next to where Jaune lay.

"I'm never going to call you Snow Angel... ever... again." The blonde said.

' _Oh thank Oum_.'

Weiss looked at the clock. She had to blink repeatedly, and shook her head. She looked again. ' _Am I reading that right?_ '

They'd gone for _two_ hours. _Straight_. It was now seven thirty.

She gave the boy's head a light tap with the toe of her boot. He rolled over, as if the contact was only a minor inconvenience. "Never..."

And then the boy fell asleep. On the floor.

" _Great_." She nudged the boy with her foot a couple more times. Sighing upon realizing the boy wasn't waking back up any time soon, Weiss sat on the bench. She was in the spot she'd been originally, so the girl grabbed her half empty mug from where she'd left it. She eyed the dark brew, before downing the cold liquid quickly.

Despite the sudden shot of caffeine and her mind telling her that the bench was the least comfortable surface known to man, the heiress clumsily laid down and fell asleep as well.

* * *

"Weiss... hey, _Weiss._ Wake up." The voice nudged her – just a light shove on the arm. "Come on, get up. Your team is looking for you."

' _Was that Jaune?_ '

"Mrhmp," Weiss grumbled, squeezing her eyes closer together. "What time is it?"

"It's like, eleven? I don't know." Jaune said uncertainly.

The heiress opened her eyes, blinking away her slumber. Eleven o'clock? So then she'd slept for... three hours? Four? She sat up, while Jaune – who'd been kneeling next to her, stood.

Weiss couldn't help but notice how sore her neck was – likely from falling asleep along the bench. She regarded Jaune with a simple glance, "My team is looking for me?" She'd told Yang that she was going to be busy, and the others had clearly heard her, so why?

"I don't know, I just got a call from Pyrrha, and that's what she said." the blonde explained.

Weiss inspected Jaune a little closer. He was still wearing what he'd had on while training. As he wasn't changed, Weiss inferred that he hadn't left the training room. She looked around, and only saw one other person – a monster of a man with short black hair who was wearing green, lifting weights in the far corner.

"How long were you out for, Jaune?" Weiss asked with genuine curiosity. If he hadn't left to go change, he mustn't have been awake for very long either.

"Only about thirty minutes." Jaune stated.

That made Weiss' head tilt in confusion. ' _Only thirty minutes_?'

"When I woke, I saw you sleeping. I didn't want to wake you, so I just sorta... sat here? I figured you must have been tired; it's my fault you were up so early, after all."

Weiss had to admit... that was rather sweet of the boy; especially if he'd actually just sat there for so long. She smiled – a natural smile, not a forced one like she'd been accustomed to giving her father's guests.

"Thanks for looking over me, Jaune." Weiss gave him a polite nod. "But next time, wake me."

The blonde rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, anytime." Apparently, he wasn't used to praise, or being thanked. "Wait, _next time_?"

Weiss, much to her own surprise, chuckled at the boy. She ignored his question. "Come on, lets go see what's up with my team."

* * *

 **And that's the second chapter. What kind of impact will Weiss' training have on Jaune? What's the rest of Team RWBY up to? Who knows? (hint: I do).**

 **Hopefully you guys are still reading, and I didn't just lose half of you somewhere. I _still_ don't know what's bothering me about this chapter. Maybe one of you know? **

**As usual, point out mistakes, and let me know what you think. I accept any and all criticism.**

 **'Till next time!**


	3. Again

**There's nothing I hate more than waiting. I could have easily released this chapter later, but I'm not going to.**

 **...Hooray!**

 **Lots of positive reinforcement from you all, and I want you to know I appreciate all of you taking the time to read my stuff, despite how good/not good it may be. You guys rock!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Weiss walked down the hall with purpose. She was on her way back to her dorm, Jaune following close behind, but also to her side. The blonde boy, likely worn out after the rigorous training Weiss put him through, didn't bother her at all on the way. That, or the he simply wanted to stay on her good side.

Either way, Weiss found she actually enjoyed Jaune's company; so long as he was quiet. And not asking her on dates. And pretty much keeping his presence to a minimum.

The two of them turned the corner into the hall where their dorms lay. The heiress smiled as she saw who was standing in her dorm's doorway, likely waiting for them with her arms crossed.

As the heiress was about to get the girl's attention, Jaune jogged past her, calling "Hey Pyrrha!"

The redhead who was standing outside team RWBY's dorm smiled naturally as she greeted the blonde. "Jaune!" The championship fighter looked past his shoulder, giving Weiss a nod in greeting. "I see you found her."

"Yeah, she was in the library."

Wait, no she wasn't. They'd been training together, and then she… _wait_.

Did… Jaune want to keep his training a secret from Pyrrha? Or did he want to hide that the heiress had just taken a three hour long nap on a bench in the training room?

Why? She appreciated the notion, but it was inconvenient.

If they were going to be keeping the fact that she was training Jaune as a secret - and by extension, what she had been doing that morning – that didn't really work out in Weiss' favor; the white haired girl helped Jaune so that she'd have a valuable excuse for why she couldn't go into town with Yang.

Then, Weiss realized, she wouldn't need the excuse anyways. She would be going with Yang out to Vale on Sunday anyways.

There wasn't really much to gain from playing along with Jaune's lie, but there wasn't anything to lose either.

She supposed she could do something for the boy.

"Your team said that they tried calling you lots of times Weiss. I called Jaune to see if he could look for you."

"I had my scroll on silent." Weiss explained. It wasn't a lie, her scroll had been on silent. "I didn't want to disturb any of the other students."

Pyrrha nodded agreeably, turning to knock on RWBY's door. Weiss could have easily let them all in herself, but she didn't even think about it.

After a second-long wait, the door swung open, and all three students went inside. The heiress looked around the room, seeing that the other two members of JNPR were also present.

Yang was the first to speak, her legs swinging freely from her bunk: "Great, all we need is a Deathstalker and a Nevermore and we can reenact the end of our initiation!"

Weiss, along with only three other people in the room, shook their heads. She quickly took note of who they were: Jaune, Blake, and the black haired boy – Ren, if she remembered correctly.

' _Well, at least we know who has some sense of self preservation._ '

Pyrrha, Weiss noted, was impassive, although she did voice her own opinion on the matter, "Maybe that wouldn't be such a great idea...?"

Ruby picked that moment to hop down from her own bunk. "Yang's just kidding guys. At least, I think she's kidding..." Ruby brought a hand to her chin, posing as if in deep thought, "Anyways, now that Weiss and Jaune are here, we can start our meeting."

Weiss narrowed her eyes questionably. "What meeting?"

The leader of team RWBY scratched the back of her head. "Uhh... the scheduled meeting we all agreed upon?"

This was the first the heiress heard of this. She really didn't see Ruby scheduling... well... _anything_. "Who's 'we all'?"

"Well..." Ruby started counting, using her fingers. "Me, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha?"

… "So everyone but me?" As Weiss grew more irate, all the members of team JNPR moved to the side, likely silently agreeing to let the members of team RWBY work out the issue.

Yang was grinning from the top bunk. "Well, we did just schedule it like, five minutes ago."

The heiress scoffed. " _That_ doesn't make this a 'scheduled meeting'." A scheduled meeting was something that was planned way in advance, something everyone involved knew was going to happen.

Blake shrugged from where she was reading her book, laying back on her bed. "Semantics."

Weiss glared her bookworm teammate. "No, not 'semantics'. For a moment there, I thought you guys had planned something without me. If we're going to be teammates, we need to make sure we're all on the same page."

They were Weiss' teammates; Ruby might be the leader, but Weiss still expected her team to be organized, professional, and most of all, coordinated.

Ruby popped up in front of Weiss' face, startling her briefly. The heiress still couldn't get over how fast her leader could move. "That is exactly what this meeting is about, Weiss; we're deciding what our plans are for the next couple of days, starting... today!"

"What?"

Ruby walked over to the open window of the dorm, "So, we've all agreed we're going to get some lunch before we go about our tasks. Speaking of tasks, who wants to go first?" The cloak wearing girl asked, turning to face the center of the room. No one answered immediately, and so Weiss' teammate began to laugh nervously, "Okay, I guess I'll start; I'm going to the forge today to do some work on Crescent Rose. Blake?"

"Oobleck's assignment." She flipped a page, looking up at the orange haired girl – Nora – at the end of her bed. "Next."

"Pancakes!"

If Weiss was caught off guard by the girl's one word statement, her partner, Ren, was not. "Nora, it's already lunch, we can't have..." The boy trailed off as Nora stared at him. "...pancakes it is. Nora and I are going to go to the library after."

Nora 'boo-ed'. The green clad boy sighed, before turning to Pyrrha, "What about you, Pyrrha?"

The redhead then looked to Ruby. "I think I'll be going to the forge as well. Do you mind if I accompany you, Ruby?"

Weiss saw the twinkle in her partner's eyes. "Of course not! We're going to have so much fun! I can't wait to see your weapon up close! I mean, I saw it already during combat class and initiation, but I didn't really get to _see_ it, ya' know? It would be so cool if we could-"

"After we eat, I'm going to hit one of the training rooms – see if there's anyone who wants to spar." Yang jumped in, cutting Ruby off before she could begin ranting – much to Weiss' pleasure. The heiress remembered exactly what Ruby was like when she showed her Myrtenaster in more detail. "I wanted to go to Vale today, but that's been put off until tomorrow. I really wanted to punch something today."

Weiss didn't miss Yang's cheeky grin.

A brief moment passed, before Weiss realized she was next. ' _Oh well. Guess I might as well just say it_.' "I'm going to use the day to rest."

"I thought you said you were going to be busy today, Weiss." Yang said, her grin growing.

' _You just had to bring that up, didn't you, Xiao Long_?'

Weiss planned out her words quickly, before speaking. "I _was_ studying, until Jaune here decided to disturb me, telling me my team was looking for me. I instantly assumed something was wrong, considering he acted as if it was urgent. Now, however, I don't think I'll be able to focus properly. So yes, I _was_ going to be busy today. But now I'm not, so I think I'll just relax.

"Besides," Weiss glared at Yang, "If I'm going out into Vale tomorrow, I'm assuming I'll need all the rest I can get."

The blonde girl at least had the decency to smile nervously. ' _I knew it_.'

Ruby spoke again, "So me and Pyrrha-" Weiss had to resist the urge to correct Ruby's grammar; the girl was actually acting like a leader. "-are going to the forge. Ren and Nora are going to the library..."

"I'll go to the library as well." Blake added.

"Ren, Nora, and _Blake_ are going to the library..." Ruby corrected. "Yang is going to train, Weiss is being a lazy-butt..."

" _Hey!_ " The heiress squawked indignantly. She wasn't being lazy, she was being _efficient_.

Ruby looked up at the last member of both teams, "Jaune?"

Weiss turned to look at the leader of team JNPR. In her own opinion, the boy looked tired, but he smiled all the same.

"I'll tag along with Yang."

Weiss scratched Jaune off her mental list of the sensible people in the room – a list she had just added him to moments ago.

He'd just gone through two hours of what was quite likely the most brutal training he'd ever been though, and he wanted to keep training? If that wasn't crazy, Weiss didn't know what was.

The least the heiress could do was make sure he didn't get hurt, right?

"I'll go too – but I'm only watching." Weiss stated clearly, emphasizing the last point, but Yang's smile didn't deteriorate.

"Aww, I knew you cared, ice queen."

* * *

After a quick lunch, Weiss found herself sitting on a side bench in training room two – for the second time that day. It certainly wasn't a place she'd think she'd return to so soon.

Apparently, in her sleep addled state after her nap, she'd even left the empty coffee cup from earlier. She was going to have to find a way to get that back to the teacher's lounge.

"Alrighty then, how are we going to play this, Vomit Boy? Surely there's something you want to work on, right? You volunteered to come along, after all." The heiress' blonde teammate asked.

Weiss watched patiently as Yang walked out into the sparring ring, the gauntlet user doing a few stretches as she warmed up. Jaune stood on the opposite end of the ring from her, thinking on her suggestion.

' _I swear, if he says he doesn't know, I'll_ -'

"Yesterday, Miss Goodwitch said to work on my footwork. You got any ideas?" Jaune asked.

"Well, Yang could fight in a way that forces you to move around a lot." Weiss suggested before she could stop herself.

Both blondes turned to her, though the female one looked at Weiss as if the heiress had grown a second head. Jaune on the other hand, had a slightly panicked expression, as if to ask 'What are you doing?'

Apparently, he wanted his training kept a secret from _everyone_.

"… It was just a recommendation, don't look at me like that." Weiss half-snapped, hoping to cover her mistake.

Yang shook her head, as if clearing it of any stray thoughts she might have had, before nodding. "Yeah, I can try and fight like that, but don't expect me to go easy on you, Jaune."

 _'That was a close one._ ' Weiss thought.

"I wouldn't want you to." Jaune said, drawing his sword and readying his shield.

Weiss noticed Jaune settled into a similar stance to the one he adopted in the morning – legs shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent; exactly as Weiss would have instructed. She already knew he was a little capable, but him doing that just reinforced the idea.

The heiress, however, also saw the boy wince. ' _So he is still feeling the pain from earlier_... _well, he's the one who wanted to do this, so it's on him_.'

"The two of you should reset on knockdown as well." Weiss added before the two began their match. "There's no point if you just pummel him into the ground like yesterday, Yang."

"Now there's something I can agree with," Yang smiled viciously "Wouldn't want to break my new training dummy, now would I?"

Weiss scoffed. While her teammate was overconfident – albeit not without good reason – she silently hoped that Jaune would at least be able to pose a challenge to her.

As she waited for the match to begin, Weiss focused yet again on Jaune. She was going to watch him the entire time; see how he'd move, how he'd react. If Jaune was ever going to ask for her help again – and he would – Weiss wanted to know what he needed to work on.

Not looking at Yang, the only indication that the match was starting was how Jaune tensed up.

It wasn't until Yang threw the first punch, however, that Weiss realized Jaune was holding his shield in his right hand again. How hadn't she noticed? She was really going to have to ask him about what gave him that idea.

Unlike in combat class the previous day, Yang wasn't caught unaware when Jaune blocked her punch – she was instead surprised when the punch she threw actually knocked Jaune over outright, despite the boy's shield intercepting the blow.

As Jaune stumbled to his feet, Weiss had to suppress a sigh. There was no way he was even close to recovered from earlier – he had to have known that, right?

What Jaune did next, however, surprised both Weiss and Yang. He pressed the button that collapsed his shield, and returned it to his belt, instead only holding his blade in his left. He settled down into his stance, holding his right arm out as if he still had his shield.

Then he said one word: "Again."

* * *

"Again." Jaune stated with certainty. He couldn't back out now – no matter how his muscles ached. Weiss was watching, and it was time to put the training she'd given him to the test.

She had been so kind, yet so unbelievably ruthless earlier; Jaune was not going to let her down, not after having her do so much for him.

His opponent, Yang – Ruby's sister, only shrugged, smiling. "If you're sure, Vomit Boy."

Oh, how he hated that nickname – and how he earned it. Jaune hadn't meant to puke on the girl's shoes, after all. Damn motion sickness.

As his opponent charged forwards, throwing another titanic punch, Jaune did the only thing he could do: react.

As her fist came down, Jaune's empty right hand came up, attempting to knock the blow aside at the very least. With his hand closed in a fist, Jaune attempted to counter the incoming attack with a backhand.

He managed to make contact with the underside of Yang's gauntlet. Now that the punch was no longer heading directly for his head, Jaune willed his legs to move, so that he could dodge out of the way of any follow-up on Yang's behalf.

But his legs stayed locked in place, refusing to move, and he received a knee to the torso as punishment.

To Jaune's relief, the blow didn't make him fall, having clipped the bottom edge of his chestplate, and so he took a couple staggered steps back, preparing for another assault.

He wasn't able to prepare fast enough however, as two punches later he was on the ground again.

The light pain faded quickly, and Jaune stood, groaning lightly at the strain it put on his burning limbs. "Again."

Yang was no longer smiling – instead, she had a look of utmost concentration.

It was almost as if she was taking their fight... s _eriously_? He doubted it.

Jaune settled into his stance again – just as Weiss taught him. As soon as he was ready, Yang rushed forwards.

This time, he did something he never thought he'd do. He took a step forward, swinging his blade horizontally. He'd never really used his sword with his left hand, so he imagined the strike looked clumsy in comparison to one utilizing his dominant hand. It didn't help that his legs protested the movement vehemently.

Then again, he'd hardly swung his sword with his right hand, either.

It really wasn't the time to think about something like that though. Yang blocked the strike with the back of her hand awkwardly, likely not having expected Jaune to go on the offensive. As Yang stepped forward in an attempt to close the distance, Jaune stepped back, not willing to let her in close enough where she was easily the most dangerous.

It proved a vain pursuit, as Yang was simply faster than he was

Jaune dodged the first punch as she got in range, but he had to block the next one with the flat of his blade. The impact jarred him, and one more punch from his gauntleted opponent sent him to the floor.

The sword wielder climbed to his feet slowly, once more. He was panting – sweating.

He needed to do _better._

"Weiss, are you seeing this?" Jaune heard Yang call out.

Jaune didn't hear the response, and he didn't see if the beautiful girl who'd given him training earlier responded with body language either – by the time he wiped the sweat from his brow, Weiss was back to watching him, face impassive.

' _I won't let her down_. _I won't let myself let her down_. _She believes in me_.'

Jaune bent his knees, ready. "Again."

Yang didn't waste any time, she leapt rather high in the air – higher than Jaune would have been able to, before using her gauntlets to propel herself towards him.

He couldn't parry it; he couldn't block it; he'd have to _dodge_ it.

Jaune dived out of the way, rolling with his momentum as he felt the ground shake from Yang's impact – she was really going hard now, no doubt frustrated at Jaune's inability. Jaune turned, resting on one knee as he drew his arm back. His blade was parallel to the ground, resting at eye level, prepared to strike.

He wondered why he held his sword like that, at that moment, but then he clued in – he'd seen Weiss do it a hundred times before. He'd seen it from every angle, as he'd been frozen in place, forced to defend against her ridiculously precise strikes.

With a defiant roar, Jaune pushed with all his might, extending his leg to his fullest as moved to meet Yang's charge.

Yang, fully on the offensive, was unable to defend against his lunge, and the tip of his blade buried itself in her aura. However, the brawler's forward momentum was too great, and Crocea Mors was torn from his grip, even as Yang's gauntleted fist collided with Jaune's face.

The first thing Jaune saw when he came to, was white.

* * *

 **Wheew. I have no idea what my fascination is with Yang beating the shit out of Jaune. It's been three chapters, and it's already happened twice. Question is, will it happen again?**

 **I really wanted to write this story from strictly Weiss' perspective for just a little bit longer, but I thought this was a good time to switch up the PoV a little bit. Sadly, we aren't privy to all of Jaune's thoughts just yet, as he had a fight to focus on; but maybe it gives you a little idea of how he's feeling about everything right now.**

 **'Till next time!**


	4. Recovery

**Man, are you guy's ready for this? Because I am. Believe it or not, I wrote half of this while drunk and overtired. You can blame any mistakes on that - I'm sure I will.**

 **R.I.P RWBY Volume 3. Now I have one less thing to look forward to on the weekends. But that's probably for the best - I won't be left in a state where I'm unable to write for two days after every Saturday anymore.**

 **Coincidence? I think not.**

* * *

"So, Jaune…" Pyrrha started, spearing a forkful of salad from her cafeteria tray. "Why have you been getting up so early recently?"

Teams RWBY and JNPR were enjoying a fine lunch together. As fine as a lunch they could have in a school cafeteria. Considering Weiss'… ' _well off'_ upbringing, adjusting to the menu at Beacon was difficult, to say the least. Not that the selection was terrible, but Weiss was used to higher quality foods with lower salt content. She could practically feel the excess crystals dissolve against her tongue.

The coffee was of the highest quality though, there was no doubt about that.

After Yang had knocked Jaune out the previous day – the two girls had made sure he was going to be okay first – Weiss had managed to bargain with her blonde teammate regarding their trip into Vale. By arguing that staying out too late on a Sunday night would be foolish considering what classes would be like Monday, the heiress convinced Yang to postpone their excursion until the next weekend – when both of their other teammates were completely free, and able to participate.

Yang proved to like the idea even more than Weiss did. Blake? The heiress had gotten more than her fair share of evil glares from Yang's partner upon discussing the change in plans with their other two teammates.

But everyone's trip to Vale didn't matter to Weiss all that much right now. As much as she hated to admit it, there was something else – _someone_ else who had garnered her attention.

And that person was Jaune Arc.

The blonde oaf – though she was finding it harder to think those words seriously – had managed to bruise Yang Xiao Long; and through her Aura no less. But that wasn't what was most astounding to the Schnee heiress:

It wasn't the result, but the _delivery;_ after all, Jaune had performed almost a picture perfect lunge from disadvantageous positioning without any prior training. Any prior training that Weiss was aware of, at least.

Even more eerie, however, was how it bore such resemblance as to how Weiss herself had been taught. How _she_ would perform a lunge, given the situation. Despite their difference in handedness, his moves leading up to the end of the spar practically mirrored hers.

That did way more than just simply intrigue the heiress.

It... _scared_ her. Not in the sense that she was afraid, per se, but that Jaune quite possibly might have been more skilled than she – or anyone else – could have even imagined.

Had he been holding back in combat class? In _initiation_?

Had the blonde even needed her help with training?

But the way the object of her now undivided attention almost choked on a chicken nugget made Weiss want to believe that it was all just a dream.

Though the heiress couldn't decide whether said dream was a good one or a bad one.

Nora Valkyrie smacked Jaune hard on his back, and the boy's distress came to a sudden halt as the food found its way to the right tube.

"Sorry, what was that Pyrrha? I didn't quite catch that."

If the redheaded champion was annoyed – which Weiss would have been – she didn't show it. "I asked what you've been doing getting up so early. You woke at around five this morning, and yesterday you were up even earlier. I was just wondering... if there was something wrong."

Weiss questioned exactly how Pyrrha knew when he woke up, but the heiress kept that to herself. The white haired girl was more interested in how Jaune would respond.

Weiss hadn't known Jaune had woken up early today as well. Did he perhaps go do some more training on his own? If that was the case, Weiss was going to have a word with him later.

Jaune shook his head rapidly, as if the faster he shook the more believable his answer. "No, nothings wrong. I just figured it would be nice to start getting up earlier. You know, 'the first step to being a good huntsman is good routine'." Jaune let out an awkward chuckle as he finished, and no one deigned it with a response.

Weiss wasn't even willing to correct the butchered quote, instead prodding the small chunk of meat on her plate.

She'd have to ask him later if he'd spent all morning training again.

Her leader, Ruby, was the one who broke the silence that took their table. "So, what're everyone's plans for today?"

To Weiss' surprise, Jaune was the one to answer first this time. "I think I'm just going to take a break." The blonde looked around the table, and Weiss noticed he refused to meet her eyes. "Read some comics or something. Yang really did a number on me yesterday."

The aforementioned blonde let out a rather unladylike snort at that. "Yeah I did. I wouldn't mind a break myself, either. Jaune really made me work for a win."

The five other members of both teams – Weiss, Yang, and Jaune excluded – all adopted varying expressions of disbelief. Weiss saw Blake's jaw drop, Ruby's head tilted curiously, and Pyrrha looked… just _surprised_. Jaune's teammate Ren closed his eyes, shaking his head, as if to clear it. And the Nora girl…?

She just belched, having finished the last of Jaune's chicken nuggets.

"What do you mean, Yang?" Blake asked.

"What I mean," Yang began, "is that this guy gave me one hell of a bruise. See?"

Yang, perhaps not considering that they were in a school cafeteria filled with hormone driven teenagers, undid and lifted the bottom half of her jacket, revealing her abdomen to the world.

It seemed like the only person at the table who didn't blush aside from Weiss was Ren, the boy only glancing once before returning to his meal.

Weiss had already seen the bruise earlier, but overnight it had changed. It was roughly two inches in diameter, just a short distance underneath Yang's left breast. It's purplish hue marring the brawler's peach skin, Weiss had to admit it was a nasty looking thing.

"Ouch. Sorry about that one." Jaune stated, his eyes apologetic. The boy's face was red, but whether that was from embarrassment or Yang's bare stomach, Weiss couldn't tell.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I did knock you out after getting it, so we'll call it even."

Pyrrha decided to speak up, "You know, if your Aura hasn't healed it at this point, you should probably get it checked out. It's possible you cracked a rib."

Ren nodded his agreement. "That would be wise."

"Ugh." Yang groaned. "But I hate the infirmary…"

The heiress, knowing just how stubborn Yang could be, sighed. She felt compelled to ask "How can you hate it? You haven't even been there yet, Yang."

"I just have a feeling." Was Yang's nonsensical response. "Besides, even if it is something like a broken rib, it'll heal up fine anyways."

Weiss was sure trying to convince the blonde otherwise was a lost cause. The heiress knew the only thing that-

"Yang you are going to the infirmary, and that is an _order_ from your team leader!"

Now it was Weiss' turn to be in disbelief.

' _Did Ruby just order her sister to the infirmary?_ ' Weiss couldn't believe it. The heiress noticed Ruby's eyes were burning with concern.

"But Rubes, I don't-"

"Babababah!" Ruby babbled out, interrupting her sister while shaking a finger. "You're going to the infirmary. An _order_!" The last word was high pitched and loud, causing Blake and Ren – who'd been sitting next to Ruby – to wince.

Yang sighed, doing her jacket back up. "Fine... _Fine!_ ...I'll go. But only because you asked me to."

Ruby nodded, satisfied. The younger girl then turned to their black haired teammate "Blake, you go with her – make sure she actually gets to the infirmary."

"Okay...?" Blake accepted uneasily, perhaps a little surprised herself with how Ruby seemed to be taking charge. "Let's go Yang."

The later half of team RWBY left the table, the remaining members as well as all of team JNPR watching as they walked out the cafeteria doors.

A few of them had to hide a chuckle as they saw Yang and Blake turn in opposite directions, only for the black haired bookworm to grab Yang and pull her along by her collar.

"So!" Ruby broke the silence once more. "What about everyone else?"

* * *

Jaune yawned, stretching his hands high above his head. Sitting on his bed with his pillow propped up behind him, the blonde had actually found himself quite comfortable. Coupled with an issue of his favorite comic, he was simply content.

Well, at least until he reached the final page. Jaune, though he enjoyed the story immensely, was never satisfied. He always wanted more. The boy sighed, tossing the latest and greatest adventure of X-Ray and Vav on a growing pile of magazines, textbooks, and homework assignments he swore he'd do later.

His muscles still ached from the previous day – but he kept that to himself, not yet willing to let his teammates know about the training he'd been doing. Jaune had to try desperately to resist the urge to wince whenever he moved, and disguised every groan with a yawn.

After lunch, Jaune and his team decided to retire to their dorm room, for a day of relaxation before their second week of classes at Beacon. After Jaune had lost himself in his little world of superheroes and their villainous enemies, his teammates slowly descended into their own hobbies.

Nora had a pair of headphones on, listening to some music while reading. Jaune found that odd, but considering just how much energy the girl must burn through on a daily basis, the leader of team JNPR reasoned that the girl had to do _something_ to wind down. Ren, the only other male on the team, was loading his magazines for his weapons. It looked rather boring, but the expression Ren had on his face implied that the boy likely found it calming.

Pyrrha was taking a shower. The sound of running water and her absence from the main room were proof enough of that.

Jaune yawned again, checking his scroll for the time. He sighed, noticing it was still a few hours until what he considered an acceptable time to go to sleep. If he tried to go to sleep now, he would only wake up even _earlier_ next morning.

After Saturday afternoon's sparring session with Yang, Jaune was sure Weiss didn't want to help him with training again. So instead of asking her to help him again today, he simply woke early and went through basic exercises. Push-ups and sit-ups, crunches, leg-lifts, tricep-dips – everything he'd read about in that one magazine. No matter how much his muscles hurt, he pushed through.

Thinking about Weiss, Jaune clenched his hands into fists. When he'd woken up after being knocked out by Yang, the beautiful girl had been hovering over him. Intitally, Jaune had thought she was making sure he was okay, but her words upon realizing he was awake told a different story.

 _"You idiot_."

Those were the words she said to him.

And despite how he smiled and laughed it off, those words _hurt_.

Jaune tried to shake the thought. He'd gotten used to her barbed words, Weiss giving him the cold shoulder any time he'd go to ask her out. She'd insulted him before, but...

After doing so well against Yang – at least, how well Jaune thought he did – she still didn't have anything good to say.

It just meant he'd have to work harder.

A knock at the door roused Jaune from his thoughts. The boy stood abruptly despite his soreness, and strode over to answer it. It wouldn't do for Ren or Nora to notice him being lethargic due to his training, and then go tell Pyrrha.

He wanted to surprise them. Seeing their reactions to what happened with Yang had already filled him with so much glee – he imagined what it would be like when he was even _better_.

Jaune was going to be the leader his team deserved.

The blonde's smile drooped temporarily, when he opened the door and saw who was standing there. He quickly replaced it, though not without effort.

' _It's hard to smile when you don't feel like it_.'

"Hey Weiss." Jaune said through his forced smile. "Pyrrha's in the shower right now, did you want me to tell her you dropped by?"

The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company – something Jaune hadn't known the girl was until recently – tilted her head. "Pyrrha?"

"Yeah, Pyrrha. That's who you're here for, right?" Who else would she have business with? Ren was too quiet, though Jaune supposed the two could be friendly with each other at least. And Nora? _Nope_.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you."

Wait... Jaune pointed a finger towards his face. "Me?"

"Yes _you_." Weiss scoffed, stepping backwards into the hallway. It took Jaune a moment to realize that she wanted to talk outside.

Jaune called back into the room. "Hey Ren, I'll be back in a bit." His teammate's nodding was the only confirmation he was going to get.

The blonde stepped out into the hallway, silently closing the door behind him. Then Jaune asked the question of the day:

"Why do you want to talk to me?"

Weiss looked behind her – at team RWBY's door – before taking a deep breath. She didn't respond to Jaune's question, instead asking her own.

"Were you out training this morning?"

Jaune was surprised, but he was able to answer simply. "Yeah. I did some basic exerc-"

"You _idiot_."

There they were again. Those words.

Jaune felt a finger twitch. " _Excuse_ me?"

"You shouldn't have trained this morning." Weiss stated simply, shaking her head. "It's not good for you to...?" She trailed off as Jaune continued to stare. "What?"

' _Don't poke the Ursa, Jaune_.' His subconscious implied, though the boy ignored his gut feeling.

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry?"

Jaune stated defiantly. "If I'm not going to be calling you 'Snow Angel', then I expect you to offer me the same _courtesy_ , Weiss. My name is _Jaune_."

Despite being the one who created it, to Jaune, the tension in the air was thick.

Jaune's anger subsidized breifly when he saw Weiss smile. "Okay... _Jaune_..."

"You're an _idiot_." Weiss reiterated, a tinge of bitterness to her voice, her eyes narrowing.

The blonde knight was about to snap back, rage returning, when Weiss shook a finger right in his face. "You. Should. Not. Have. Trained. Today _._ "

The emphasis Weiss put on each word was enough to give Jaune pause. But he wasn't just going to take this lying down. "Hey, listen-"

"No, _you listen_!" Weiss stepped forward, closing the distance between the two to roughly a foot. Despite their height difference, Jaune flinched as the girl got closer. "The training I did with you was supposed to be it for the entire day! But then you had the wonderfully _brilliant_ idea of going and sparing with Yang! I was willing to let that slide, of course, because you seemed fine.

"But you weren't were you?" Despite the pause, Jaune didn't answer. "I saw it when you were fighting. You may have been reacting faster, you might have been performing _better_ , but your actions were still sluggish. After Yang knocked you out, I figured you'd have been done for a little while – not up at five o'clock the next day training again! If you overworked your muscles, pulled something, or was otherwise injured you could be out for _weeks_! You should still be recovering from your training on Saturday."

Jaune, fists clenched, willed himself to calm. Weiss was breathing heavily in front of him, out of breath from her tirade. He pushed down his unnecessary – and perhaps unjustified – anger, trying to understand exactly what Weiss had said to him.

The leader of team JNPR turned his head slightly to the side, so that he wouldn't be breathing directly on Weiss as he spoke. "Is that why you didn't say anything about my training after I came to?"

"Yes!"

Well, that cleared one thing up at least.

Jaune sighed, backing away from Weiss, the last of his rage fading. His back hit the door to his dorm, and he suddenly decided he didn't have the strength to stand. He slid down the door, landing flat on his rear.

"I'm..." What could he say? "I'm sorry Weiss... I just, I just thought that you were mad at me."

"I _wasn't_ ; but I am now." The heiress crossed her arms as she leaned forwards, looking down at him. "But I'm willing to forgive you, _just this once_. Okay?"

Jaune nodded from his spot on the floor.

"Good. Now I didn't come here to yell at you, no matter how much I might enjoy it." Weiss said, wanting to switch topics.

"You enjoyed that?" Jaune asked suddenly.

"Of course I didn't." she scoffed, while Jaune himself breathed a sigh of relief. "Here."

Weiss held out a piece of folded paper out to Jaune. The boy took it, promptly unfolding it. On the sheet, there was a table, complete with dates, times, and other things. All of it was written in immaculate handwriting – it looked so precise, so professional, that Jaune had to admit that he actually had a hard time reading it.

"Is this... a timetable?" Jaune had to ask. It certainly looked like one.

"Yes. If it works for you, those are the times I'd like to do our training exercises. Early morning, every other day, starting tomorrow." Weiss stated. "That is, if you're still up for it."

Up for it? Of course he was. "Yeah, but I thought you wouldn't want to train me after what happened with Yang."

"What do you mean?" Weiss sounded genuinely curious, as if she had no idea what Jaune was talking about. How could she not?

"You know, how I lost to Yang, even with your training?"

Weiss let out a noise somewhere between a choke and a laugh, before she covered her mouth. "Uhh, Jaune..." She moved her hand from her mouth, a light red on her cheeks. "Did you actually think you could beat Yang with just one day's worth of training?"

Well, when she put it that way, Jaune realized just how foolish – no, just how much of an... _idiot_ – he was being. "No, I guess not." He chuckled.

Weiss shook her head. "So, the schedule work out for you?"

Jaune looked down at the paper in his hands – a physical demonstration of how committed Weiss was to helping him out.

"I only have one issue..." Jaune smiled, groaning as he stood back up.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

The boy laughed outright. "Do you mind if we skip tomorrow's session?"

For the first time in history, Jaune Arc made Weiss Schnee laugh.

* * *

 **Oddly enough, this is exactly how I see a Jaune with more drive interacting with Weiss. If Jaune's anger seems misplaced here, it's because, well, it IS. Jaune is a teenager, and as we know, teenagers are moody and hard to understand (Yes, this might also apply to you). Teenagers with 'superpowers' being trained to fight monsters are likely extra moody. And even harder to understand.**

 **Also, i'm not an expert on physical fitness and related topics - if something seems wrong here, point it out to me.**

 **As I mentioned previously; drunk and beyond tired while writing this. That's what happens when I'm only given a love seat to sleep in after a solid night.**

 **Let me know what you guys think in a PM or review.**

 **Until next time!**


	5. Glyph

**Heyo!**

 **This chapter felt good, initially. I hope you guys enjoy it. Let me know if you find any grammar mistakes, continuity errors, etc. Chances are there's a couple.**

* * *

Jaune's foot tapped against the floor rapidly. It wasn't like he was doing it in impatience – not really. The boy was more anxious than anything, watching his teammate Ren fight in the ring below.

There wasn't a doubt that Ren would win, oh _no._ Jaune was more concerned with how fast he was winning.

It was the last class of the day. Even though it was already Tuesday, Jaune was still hurting from his weekend stint; the training from Weiss on Saturday morning, his match against Yang in the afternoon, and his calisthenics Sunday morning. Even after what was practically a full two days worth of rest, he was still undeniably sore.

"The winner is Lie Ren."

' _That's… not good._ ' Jaune glanced at the clock on the wall. He already knew what the next words out of Miss Goodwitch's mouth were going to be.

"It looks like we have time for one more match. Any volunteers?"

' _Please, someone – anyone – raise your hand._ ' If Professor Goodwitch was allowed to pick randomly, then odds are Jaune would be picked to fight. And in all honesty, fighting wasn't on his list of things he felt like doing.

Jaune was eager to fight _again,_ but not now; he knew if he went out there in his current state, he'd lose.

No one raised their hand. No one spoke up.

The expression on the deputy headmistress' face was one Jaune could recognize – a mix of disappointment and apathy.

She began tapping away at her scroll, doing… well… _something_. "If that is the case, can I get… Jaune Arc…"

' _Well shit…_ '

"And Cardin Winchester to the floor please?"

Cardin, of all people? Jaune could hear the laughter and the jeering from across the ring, where team CRDL sat. If he'd been feeling better – if he hadn't been so _sore,_ surely he'd be able to win against Cardin.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Pyrrha smiling at him.

Jaune, though it looked genuine, knew Pyrrha's smile was forced – she didn't think he could win. _No one did_. The thing that angered himself the most, was that he knew he _could_ win. Had this fight been tomorrow.

Had he not overworked himself like an _idiot_.

Jaune nodded – more to himself than to Pyrrha – and stood. He passed Ren on his way down the stairs, his teammate wishing him good luck as he went by. Jaune took his place opposite the ring from Cardin. As the blonde tightened his shield's straps, his eyes went up to scanning the spectator area. It was easy enough to find team RWBY. The four girls really stood out amongst the other students.

Jaune wasn't sure if Yang's glare was threatening or not – it certainly seemed like she was suggesting that if Jaune lost, that there's be consequences. Ruby looked honestly hopeful. Blake looked… like Blake. And Weiss?

Weiss simply met Jaune's eyes, and nodded.

That… was actually more _encouraging_ than anything else.

Drawing Crocea Mors, Jaune took a deep breath, turning his eyes to his opponent. Cardin stood, his mace slung over his shoulder. He looked... well... _excited_. Not in the sense that he was looking forward to a fight; it was more like he was looking forward to a beat down.

A one-sided beat down in _his_ favor.

Jaune was going to try his best to make sure that's exactly what didn't happen.

"Mr. Arc, have I already had you fight yesterday?"

"Huh?" Jaune turned to face Miss Goodwitch, not knowing what the blonde professor could be referring to.

Goodwitch used her crop to point towards the display above. "Your Aura is only 'half-full' as one would say. I don't recall; have you already fought a match yesterday?"

Despite his confusion, Jaune was able to give her an answer "No, I haven't done any fighting since Saturday."

"I see..." Miss Goodwitch faced the center of the ring once more. "Are both fighters ready?"

Jaune nodded. He was as ready as he was ever going to be. Or, well, at least for today.

Cardin, across the ring, also nodded. There was only one thought that was going through Jaune's head as he did so:

What was the best way to take down Cardin? Taking him on head on wasn't a good call – chances were he'd get sent flying if he tried to block, considering how he was feeling. Dodging would be hard, as Cardin had a lot of reach with his mace.

Miss Goodwitch left the ring, and the barrier sprung to life.

"Begin!"

Jaune settled into a defensive stance, already anticipating Cardin's charge. The mace wielder didn't disappoint, rushing forwards while holding his mace ready behind him. Jaune could see the path the weapon was going to take, before Cardin even swung.

As Cardin began to slow, bringing his mace around for a heavy blow, Jaune moved. The blonde stepped to his left, closer to the mace. With his shield between himself and Cardin's weapon, Jaune jumped into the strike.

Jaune's feet touched the ground again, being forced back to the floor by the power behind Cardin's attack. The blonde bent his knees, and jumped forwards again. Cardin was off balance from Jaune meeting his attack head on.

Crocea Mors was brought down with all the strength Jaune could muster, but it wasn't enough. Cardin was able to bring the heft of his mace around in time to catch Jaune's strike. The one-handed slash wasn't enough to break Cardin's guard, as the larger student used his strength to push Jaune back.

Jaune could do nothing as Cardin delivered a kick to his chest, separating the two. While typically Jaune would be happy with the brief respite, in this case the separation was in Cardin's favor. Now Jaune would need to try again to get within his opponents reach. It was unlikely the same tactic would work twice; Cardin would be more wary now.

Fighting Cardin, Jaune realized, was a lot like fighting Yang. They were both heavy hitters, but as he learned against Yang – both during Friday's match, as well as their spar on Saturday – if you can make it awkward for them to land any decent blows, then their strikes wouldn't have power. By actually meeting Cardin's attacks head on, he could lower their effectiveness.

It was the only way he could see himself winning; right now, he wasn't quick enough to dodge, nor was he skilled enough to deflect a weapon the size of Cardin's. When he'd been fighting against Yang after training with Weiss, his muscles burned and his joints ached – but he could still move normally.

Right now? Jaune was just _sore_. Sore, and sluggish. He knew he could move faster than he was, but he simply _could not_.

Cardin stood tall, mace slung over his shoulder. He was laughing, as if Jaune's efforts had been for naught. Laughing the same laugh he had when he'd pushed Jaune into a rocket locker. The _second_ time. How Jaune wanted to _shut him up_.

Part of Jaune wanted to just accept that he was going to lose today. He could come back, another combat class, and wipe the floor with Cardin.

His conscious self denied that immediately. ' _I won't lose_.'

With a roar – not in defiance or bravery, but in pain with each step he took – Jaune rushed forwards, shield raised. The blonde ducked his head behind his shield, bracing for a collision.

But there was no impact, and Jaune continued through where he thought he'd have run into Cardin. As he ran, Jaune caught a glimpse of gold; a golden bird, on a piece of heavy metal plate.

Cardin had dodged?

Upon his discovery, Jaune felt his opponent's mace impact hard against his back. The blonde was flung forwards, skidding to a stop. He could feel the dull hum of the barrier mere inches from where he lay.

Jaune got up as quick as he could, turning with his shield raised in case Cardin had decided to follow up. With his eyes peering over top of the edge of his shield, Jaune realized that was not the case.

Cardin remained in the middle. Waiting.

' _Is he toying with me?_ ' Jaune couldn't believe it.

That made him more angry than anything else Cardin could have done – or even _has_ done.

You could push him into a locker, call him names, make fun of him. But the one thing Jaune hated most?

Not being taken seriously.

But... in his current state, he was sure he wouldn't be able to take _himself_ seriously.

Jaune stood, loosening the straps on his shield. The way he was now, the shield was just weighing him down – though he was likely going to suffer without it's protection.

Cardin had the size advantage, and though Jaune didn't want to admit it, the larger boy was simply _stronger_. He had more Aura, more reach... Jaune wasn't even much faster than the mace wielder.

But he had to do something.

' _Let's try this out..._ '

Jaune began moving forwards cautiously. With the straps that typically held his shield tight to his arm now not serving their purpose, he doubted he could take a single blow on it without the thick piece of metal being wrenched from his arm.

Cardin took a large step, moving to bring his mace down on top of Jaune the moment the blonde was in range.

' _Now!_ '

Though his legs sincerely felt like they didn't want to move, they did. Jaune raised his shield, taking the brunt of the blow directly. He felt his shield shift, and he knew he wouldn't be able to re-grip it in time.

Instead, Jaune let go, moving out from underneath his shield as Cardin struck it once again from above. He barely made it out of the way, his shield clattering against the ground, sent flying by Cardin's mace.

Cardin himself had a look of surprise on his face. Jaune swung his sword at the bully's head, hoping to at least make contact before the taller fighter could recover. Chances were Cardin put all he had in that second strike, not expecting there to be no resistance.

Jaune did indeed make contact, Crocea Mors brushing against Aura as he dragged it across Cardin's face. It wasn't enough, as a backhanded swing from Cardin's mace took Jaune's legs out from under him. Jaune quickly rolled away, as Cardin brought his mace down where he'd fallen just a moment ago.

Jaune rose to his feet, but this time Cardin didn't give him any time to himself. Jaune tried to bring his sword up in time for a deflection, but Cardin simply overpowered him, knocking Crocea Mors from his grip.

"I forfeit." Jaune called out, as much as he hated having to do so. Without his sword – or his shield – there was nothing he could do.

Cardin, who'd had his mace raised in preparation for another strike, brought his large weapon to rest against his shoulder instead. With a sneer, he turned and walked away.

The barrier fell, and Miss Goodwitch returned to the arena floor. "Well fought Mr. Winchester. ...Mr. Arc?"

"Yes?"

"Next time, if you are not prepared to fight, let me know beforehand."

Jaune was sure that was meant to be advice, but he only took it as criticism. ' _I wasn't prepared. I wasn't good enough._ '

The blonde retrieved Crocea Mors and his shield, sheathing the blade and placing it at his hip. He looked up, meeting the light blue eyes of Weiss.

' _I need to do better_.'

* * *

"So, Jaune..." Weiss took a sip of her morning coffee – again liberated from the teacher's lounge, "In your fight against Cardin yesterday, what did you learn?"

"Well, I didn't really learn anything new – just what I'd already known." The blonde responded, yawning. He looked like he could have used a cup of coffee himself, sitting on the bench in his 'workout clothes.'

"And that is?" Weiss wanted to make sure Jaune knew exactly what the problem was.

Jaune stared at a random spot between his feet, "Not to overwork myself, or else I won't be ready when I need it. Pretty much everything you told me on Sunday."

"Good." Weiss was glad he hadn't forgotten that already.

The two students were sitting on a bench in training room two once again – the same bench they'd used the first time. Jaune had already been there when Weiss had shown up. Apparently, he'd woken up early by mistake, and decided he might as well get warmed up for their training this morning.

Funnily enough, Weiss had no intentions of having Jaune do any physical training this morning. Instead, she wanted to talk. Today, she wanted to go through building a 'lesson plan' for Jaune; what they'd do on specific days, what the boy himself wanted to work on, that sort of thing.

That wasn't all she wanted to do though. There was something else she needed to do:

She needed to apologize.

After spending so much time with her own team – whether it was relaxing in their dorm room after class, studying in the library, or just chatting in the cafeteria – she realized she could come off as... a little cold. According to Yang, she'd been – in her teammate's words – " _Quite the bitch_."

At first, Weiss was offended. But then, as Yang, Ruby, and even Blake had begun pointing out examples, she realized, she had been rather... unfair to others since starting out at Beacon. Jaune in particular had received a lot of her ire, back when he'd been attempting to court her non-stop.

Jaune, as Weiss had recently learned, really wasn't all that bad of a guy. A little... simple, maybe... but since he'd stopped attempting to woo her, he was... tolerable.

' _Well, there's no time like the present._ '

As the heiress opened her mouth to begin speaking, Jaune spoke first.

"Hey, Weiss?"

' _Darn._ ' "What is it Jaune?"

"I've been meaning to say this for a while, but... I'm sorry."

Hold on just a minute...

" _You're_ sorry? For what?" The heiress asked, incredulous. What could Jaune possibly be sorry for?

"For all those times I asked you out... It was silly of me." Jaune looked up – not at Weiss, but at the ceiling. "I never really realized exactly how annoying I'd been. I'm sure I must have been bothering you, day in, day out, asking you if you wanted to do something on the weekend. Every time you shot me down, I just thought the same thing I think when I lose: 'I need to do better'. So... I'm sorry.

"I might not be very good at painting nails - I mean, I can do it, I'm just not very good – and I don't think I know any cute boys... But do you think we can be friends?" Jaune held out a hand for Weiss to shake.

It was all so sudden – Weiss impulsively felt like taking Jaune's hand right then and there. But she needed to do this _her_ way. "Jaune, there's something _I_ need to say."

Jaune's brow furrowed, hand still extended. "What is it?"

Weiss took a deep breath, carefully placing her coffee cup on the bench next to her. She turned, and met Jaune's eyes. " _I'm_ sorry."

Before Jaune could respond, Weiss continued. "I've been more than rude to you, since before even initiation. At the time, I sort of figured you were just another idiot vying for my affection – which you _were –_ but I shouldn't have judged you based off of one interaction. Of course, your asking me out roughly three times a day didn't really help your case-" Jaune nodded at that. "-But I was... _unnecessarily_ rude. I'm sorry."

There was a brief pause, before Jaune pushed his hand forwards, as if to re-offer the handshake "So we're both at fault. But that's okay. Friends?"

"Sure, friends." Weiss shook Jaune's hand. It felt good to finally get that off her chest.

Weiss' coffee found it's way back into her hands, and she took another sip. "So, for Friday, what do you want to do?"

"Well, I was thinking we could catch a movie, maybe grab a bite to eat…?"

Weiss glared at the blonde. "…Friends _off_."

"It was a joke, Weiss. A joke!" Jaune coughed awkwardly. "I want to focus on my offense, if I can."

The heiress nodded to herself, putting her coffee back down beside her. That made sense; in all his recent fights, Jaune had done fine – except when he had to press the attack. Aside from his lunge on Yang, Weiss had never seen him land a relatively clean hit on anyone.

But, the best way to work on his offense…

"I can talk to Professor Port, see if we can get permission to head out into the Emerald Forest on Sunday."

It almost looked like Jaune was concerned about that, but Weiss had to be imagining things. What were a few Grimm to an aspiring huntsman? Sure, he didn't seem like he was all that in one-on-ones with other students, but he wouldn't be at Beacon if he wasn't already an avid slayer of Grimm, right?

"Yeah, sure, that sounds great." Jaune said hurriedly. "So if we're doing offense on Sunday, then what do you think we should do on Friday?"

Weiss grinned as sinisterly as she could. "How about another lockdown?"

Apparently her grin was convincing, as Jaune chuckled nervously. "Ah, good. I'll be dead before Sunday."

"Don't worry, it won't be nearly as bad as the first one. You'll have done it before, and this one'll be a lot shorter – we do still have class later."

Jaune paled. This time, Weiss had no idea what the cause was. "Jaune, what's the matter?"

"Uh, class?" Jaune pointed up, high on the wall. " _Class_!"

Weiss, understanding exactly what Jaune had been trying to get across, looked up at the clock.

They had seven minutes to get to class. And neither of them were in uniform.

But Weiss wasn't one to give up just because time wasn't on her side. She grabbed Jaune by the wrist. "Let's _go_!"

The heiress drew on her Aura as she stood, creating two glyphs – one under her feet and another under Jaune's.

Weiss took off immediately, out the door in a second. She turned waiting for Jaune, who was just standing there on top of the glyph. "Come on!"

The boy looked uncertain, before he bent his knees.

And then he was gone.

The next Weiss saw him, he was in a pile on the floor behind her, a gust of air ruffling her skirt and flipping her hair in front of her face.

"Why, Weiss, _why_?" Jaune groaned, as he struggled to his feet, having apparently ran into the wall opposite the training room door.

Jaune… Jaune shouldn't have moved that fast with her glyph's assistance. Even Winter didn't move _that_ fast. Had she – impossibly – zoned out, not noticing when the boy had passed?

No, that couldn't be it. She summoned another pair of glyphs. One for Jaune, and one for herself. She put a little 'less' Aura into these ones.

"Hurry Jaune, we're going to be late!" she stated, using the glyph to move herself further down the hallway. Because of how little she put into it, it only carried her halfway down the hall, before she began to slow to a normal pace.

Jaune stood, shaking his head. He took note of the glyph beneath his feet once again, and did the same as before.

To Weiss' surprise, Jaune blew right past her again – going so far as to crash into the wall at the end of the hall; twice the distance that Weiss traveled.

' _This is..._ '

Weiss caught up with Jaune, as he was picking himself up once again. "Sorry Jaune, I'll get it right this time."

Weiss didn't like how empty the halls were, but if anything, it was quite possibly the best time to test of her theory. She turned. Only a couple more corners until they were in the hall that their dorms were in.

She generated another two glyphs – these ones both would be enough to carry herself to the end of the hall.

The heiress only hoped that the wall there would be able to stop Jaune.

She took off first, once again. Weiss could hardly see Jaune's facial expression when she turned – he was too far – but his body language was enough to know that he was about to move himself.

This time Weiss actually managed to see the blur as Jaune went by. Again, he collided with the wall behind her, but it's not like the white haired girl could do anything to stop him.

"I swear… Weiss, are you doing this on purpose?" Jaune groaned, picking himself up for – hopefully – the final time.

"The first time? No. Second time? No. Third time…?"

"Third time…?" Jaune repeated.

"Definitely. But I think I have it down now." Weiss confirmed. As she spoke, she called forth another two glyphs. The girl was beginning to feel the drain on her Aura. She could keep making these glyphs for hours, but there was a noticeable dip at this point.

She made her own glyph strong enough to carry her to the next intersection. They'd have to turn down it to get to their own rooms. Jaune's glyph was… much less powerful, roughly a quarter of the normal amount of effort put into it.

Weiss landed deftly, punctuating her arrival with a light hop. Jaune, meanwhile stumbled halfway through the intersection.

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

' _At least I got the strength right that time._ ' Weiss thought to herself. ' _So roughly a quarter…_ '

"Don't worry Jaune. One more 'jump' and we'll be back at our dorms." Weiss reassured. The heiress wasn't sure why she called it a 'jump'. Her glyphs were only meant to amplify speed, not... not _do_ whatever it was they were doing. It was almost as if Jaune was teleporting.

Jaune took a deep breath before asking "Can't I just walk from here? I mean, the rooms are right there."

' _Nuh-uh_.' Weiss created a glyph underneath Jaune's feet before he could move.

Jaune let out a sigh as he noticed the intricate design under his feet. "I thought we were _friends._ "

Weiss scoffed, "If we weren't friends, I'd have left you back at the training room. Now hurry up."

Jaune went first this time, practically warping right in front of his door. Weiss followed quickly, able to properly control her enhanced speed.

Why were her glyphs making Jaune so much faster?

Pausing in front of her own door for but a moment, Weiss swiped her scroll for entry. Before Jaune could say anything, the heiress slipped inside and started changing.

Just as Weiss was finishing up, there was a knock at the door. She opened it, surprised to see it was Jaune, fully dressed. "That didn't take you very long." the heiress commented.

"I grew up with seven sisters." Jaune stated, as if that explained it all. "We've got two minutes."

Weiss nodded. She knew. "We're going to have to go quick. Think you can handle it?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

Jaune did surprisingly well, Weiss noted. After their stop at the dorms to get changed, she began setting up the glyphs the moment her and Jaune would land from their previous 'jump'.

Weiss somehow even managed to keep Jaune from colliding with any walls. She found it quite impressive herself.

The two tardy students – unfortunately, they didn't make it fast enough – were now both standing outside the door to Professor Port's class. When they first arrived, Weiss' hand had been on the door handle instantly, but Jaune had grabbed her wrist before she could enter, and shook his head.

Weiss had demanded an explanation. And to her surprise, the one Jaune gave was rather sound:

" _If we go in now, he'll notice we're late. If we go in after five minutes, he won't_."

If it was anyone else but Professor Port, it wouldn't have made any sense. But sadly, it was – and it _did_.

"We should be good now. Quietly."

Weiss nodded, and opened the door. The heavy wood didn't make a sound as it swung open. The professor was in the middle of one of his 'daring tales of heroism' – Weiss didn't mind them, actually – and as such wasn't exactly paying attention to anything but the students directly in front of him as he recounted the exploits of his youth.

"I'll see you at lunch." Jaune whispered, as he brushed past her.

Jaune wasn't even trying to be stealthy. The blonde literally walked in, gave a wave to Weiss' teammates – Ruby actually waved _back_ – and sat a couple rows up from them in an empty seat.

Speaking of her teammates, it looked like they saved her a seat. Weiss glanced at Professor Port – still lost in his own legend.

Weiss adopted a similar approach to Jaune, and walked right over to where her team sat, squeezing behind occupied seats to get to the open one among them.

The white haired heiress sat down, her heart hammering in her chest. Did she really just get away with that?

"...And then the Skitter came, crawling out of it's hole. I, being the strapping young man that I was, saw fit to..."

Yes. Yes it seemed like she did.

"So... _Weiss_... showing up late to class for the first time this year, eh?" Yang teased. "And showing up with _Jaune_ too. People are going to t-a-l-k, you know? Especially with how... _out of breath_ the two of you were."

Weiss sighed. Apparently, she _hadn't_ gotten away entirely. "Yang, we had to _run_ to class – of course we were out of breath."

For some reason, Yang's face lit up in excitement. "Oh, so you _did_ come to class together."

"I didn't say that."

Yang giggled in response. Her laughter was cut short by the mustached professor clearing his throat to gain their attention.

Weiss and Yang were silent. Waiting.

' _Oh no, did he notice_?'

"...As it turns out, the mountain I had climbed was actually home to an entire Skitter colony – one such that the size had never been documented. With my trusty axe at my side..."

* * *

 **Ah, Professor Port. How I love your lectures. And how no one else does, sadly. Except for Weiss apparently, though it looks like she grew tired of them come Vol. 2. You gotta get out there, man; get some new material. No one wants to hear about the Grimm species you supposedly made extinct in one venture, do they? ...** **Actually, I think they might like that.**

 **Hmm...**

 **Any who** **, this chapter might actually taste a little... bland. Cardin's fight could have been a little... better. And while there's some humor in there to be found - I'm sure - this chapter's mostly a little set up for things to come. Let me know what you think in a review or a PM. My inbox is always open.**

 **See you soon!**


	6. Permission

**Brief(?) announcement at the end of this chapter for fans of this story (as well as my other story Technician). Don't worry, it's nothing too scary.**

 **I think.**

* * *

'Wait for it… wait for it…'

Unable to move his legs – once more courtesy of Weiss' 'careful' application of Ice Dust – Jaune leaned to the left slightly, brushing the girl's rapier aside with the flat of Crocea Mors.

The hunter-aspirant quickly learned that it wasn't as if blocking, dodging, and parrying were all exclusive; after facing down thousands of Weiss' pin-point strikes, Jaune discovered that the best way around any of them was to not only move out of the way, but to do his best to disrupt her rhythm at the same time.

Unlike his last time in 'lockdown', as the girl called it, Weiss had started attacking successively. She began comboing her attacks together into long chains of lunges and slashes, dancing around Jaune all the while. A lot of strikes still got through, but not nearly as many as before.

Jaune knew he was improving, but that wasn't all that was contributing to his perhaps infrequent success; since it was his second time in lockdown, Weiss allowed Jaune to use his shield – and this time he noticed it was much easier to defend. Any strikes coming on his left only required the precision placement of his shield, and he was fine.

Weiss committed a couple more stabs, trying to get past Jaune's defense. The blonde managed to twist around, placing his shield between him and his opponent, limiting her options. Any strikes that came were on the right side – just far enough on the outside that Jaune had to use Crocea Mors to deflect and block.

After not being able to get past Jaune's guard after about ten seconds of continuous striking, Weiss took a couple steps back, and the ice beneath Jaune shattered at her behest.

Jaune didn't know she could do that, in all honesty. He expected he'd have to hack away at his own feet to get himself out in time for class.

"We've got ten minutes maximum until we need to be back at our dorms." Weiss stated, looking at the clock on the wall. She settled into what Jaune 'recognized' as her defensive stance. "Show me what you've got."

Jaune nodded, taking a quick breath before running forwards. With his shield raised, Weiss wasn't going to be able to strike back so easily. Over the top of his shield, Jaune noticed the telltale glow of one of Weiss' glyphs, and braced himself for impact.

The blonde collided with what felt like a solid wall, bouncing back off of it, yet recovering quickly. Jaune knew what had happened: Weiss had used her glyph as a shield, halting his charge. It reminded him of how the girl had stopped the Boarbatusk in their first class with Professor Port.

With that in mind, he assumed that she would follow up with something similar as to what she'd done that day; an attack from above. He raised his shield, and was rewarded when he felt her blade skid along the surface, letting out a screech as the metal of her rapier scraped against his shield.

Weiss likely hadn't been expecting him to defend the way he did, as Jaune felt her whole body impact against his shield, skipping off of it. The force she struck him with still managed to bring him to his knees, however.

Jaune turned his head, watching as Weiss managed to land on her feet. The heiress propelled herself forwards to attack from behind. As there was no way Jaune was going to be able to get his shield around in time: Jaune had to time the deflection perfectly.

Then, Jaune realized, that he could _move_.

Instead of blocking, or parrying, Jaune attempted to simply sidestep Weiss' attack.

 _Attempted_ , at least. Weiss managed to spear him in the shoulder, taking him off balance as he moved. From there, she just landed three more blows in quick succession, and Jaune was on his back, the tip of Weiss' blade at his neck.

' _Alright, not trying that again_.'

From where he lay, Jaune could hear Weiss scoff. "That wasn't very smart. You know, just because you can move doesn't mean you shouldn't defend." She offered him a hand, helping him up. "Even if you're able to sidestep, keep your shield up and your sword at the ready."

Jaune let out a groan as he massaged his shoulder - at least a tad injured from Weiss' strike. That lunge had a _lot_ of force behind it. "Got it."

"Do you though?" Weiss asked sharply, as she began walking towards the exit, their 'session' over.

Jaune stood there for a moment, contemplating Weiss' question. Would he make the same mistake again? Probably not, but if he did, it would never be intentional like it was just now.

Not just that, but next time he'd be _quick_ enough too.

Jaune jogged up to walk astride Weiss. As the two entered the hall, they remained silent, but it was at least a companionable silence; the type that Jaune wanted to break, but also wouldn't mind if he didn't.

Unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately – Jaune couldn't think of anything to say on their walk back.

"Say, Jaune…"

To the boy's surprise, it was Weiss who was breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Team RWBY is heading out to Vale tomorrow. Does your team have any plans?"

Jaune brought a hand to his chin in thought. "I don't think so. I'd have to ask everyone. What're you guys heading out there for?"

"I don't actually know. Yang has somewhere she wants to go, and she's dragging the rest of us along. I was wondering if you and your teammates might be interested in coming with?"

Jaune knew the heiress was just asking as a member of JNPR's sister team, but Jaune really felt like it was the strangest thing; Weiss asking _him_ if he wanted to so somewhere. He grinned at the irony.

"I can't speak for the rest of my team, but _I'm_ not doing anything, so I'll be able to go at least. I`ll make sure to ask the others, though."

Weiss nodded, and that was the end of their conversation.

A couple minutes later, Jaune was on his way into his dorm room - Weiss heading into her own.

What Jaune saw when he entered was roughly what he'd expected: his teammates, scattered around the room in various states of dress. Ren, fully clothed, was sitting cross legged on his bed, facing a wall. Pyrrha was just sliding her arms into the sleeves of he blazer, smiling as Jaune entered. Nora, on the other hand… was still in her pajamas, snoozing.

Nora was... an oddity. Somedays, she`d be the first up, singing and hopping around. But there were times like these where Nora was as she is now: dead to the world, face buried in a pillow, a mere fifteen minutes before class. It was hit or miss, really.

Jaune sighed, "Alright, so who's turn is it to wake her?"

Ren had done it the first morning – the day after initiation, and immediately established that he wasn't going to be the one to do it _every time_. Then. A couple days later, Pyrrha had done it. Jaune had the... _displeasure_ of waking Nora the last time.

She could be _violent_ if you weren't careful.

"It's your turn again Jaune." Pyrrha stated, brushing her ponytail out. "It's... why she's still sleeping, actually."

The door closed behind Jaune with a soft clunk as the boy shivered. " _Again_? But I did it last time?"

Ren took that moment to speak up, "The last two times, you've been out. Pyrrha and I have done our part."

That... was _reasonable_... But that didn't mean he liked it.

Jaune looked to Pyrrha for confirmation. His redheaded partner nodded, although her eyes shined with pity – or was it relief? Jaune wasn't good with detecting emotions.

The blonde took a deep breath. Trying to wake Nora might even be harder than training with Weiss.

Jaune took a cautious step towards the sleeping girl. It wasn't as if the slightest movement would disturb her to the point that she'd wake up in a violent rage, but Jaune likened it to the many Spruce Willis movies he'd watched where someone had to defuse a bomb before it blew up a building or something – where one wrong move could mean the difference between life or death.

The blonde felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead – but whether that was from training earlier or from the current situation, he couldn't be sure.

As gentle as he could, Jaune laid a hand against Nora's shoulder...

* * *

"Actually Weiss, I'd already-"

 _Thud._

Yang stopped mid-sentence, as well as mid-stride, the sound of something heavy striking the wall next to them interrupting her. Weiss looked past her blonde teammate, but there was nothing there. Whatever made the noise, it was on the other side of the wall... in team JNPR's dorm.

Weiss decided to ignore it, instead prompting Yang to continue. The brawler began walking again, and Weiss followed in stride.

"As I was saying, I already asked team JNPR to come with us tomorrow. Pyrrha said she'd need to see what Jaune thought first, but if you're saying Jaune's _okay_ to go, then I guess it's settled, hey?"

"I suppose so." Weiss commented quietly.

"Still, it was nice of you to track Jaune down and ask yourself. How'd you know I was planning on asking team JNPR too?" Yang quizzed, eyes forward.

Weiss _hadn't_ known. The heiress thought she would be one-upping Yang by getting JNPR to tag along on team RWBY's outing, but apparently her blonde teammate actually approved of that – to the point where she'd actually gone and asked Pyrrha and the others while Weiss had been training with Jaune.

Said _training_ that she was apparently supposed to be keeping secret. For whatever reason, Weiss still didn't know.

' _I'll have to ask him about that_.'

Weiss flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "I really only asked Jaune because last week you seemed so excited at the prospect of having Ruby and Blake join us on our day out. I figured that you'd approve of me inviting more people, so I took the initiative."

Yang nodded. "I suppose I can understand that. You weren't wrong, after all. But…"

Weiss turned, watching her teammate's face morph as the girl tried to find the right words.

"…What's up with you and Jaune?" Yang asked, dropping her usually playful tone. She was _serious_. "You never really got along with him before... but now it seems like the two of you are attached at the hip. He blackmailing you or something?"

"What? No! It's..."

The heiress wasn't necessarily caught off guard by Yang's question – she knew someone was going to ask eventually. Weiss actually had a well rehearsed excuse prepared, because she couldn't just go tell everyone that she was helping Jaune train when the boy himself didn't want it public knowledge.

It helped that her excuse had a grain of truth to it.

"...Jaune and I have an _agreement_." Weiss paused before continuing – she wanted to make sure she got this right. "I made it explicitly clear to him that I wasn't interested in a date. He promised to never ask again, and I… well, I'm trying to be nicer to him. He isn't so bad if you can get by the… well…"

"Incompetence?"

Not the word Weiss was looking for, but it would work. "Yeah."

"Oh?" Weiss' blonde teammate leaned in closer, nudging her in the side. "Is our little Ice Queen's frozen heart thawing?" Yang quizzed jokingly.

Ah, there's the Yang that Weiss knew so well. "If that's the case, then you're going to have to find something else to call me, you know that?"

Yang made a sound as if she was about to talk, but the blonde cut herself off. Weiss turned, and was mildly amused by how Yang held a finger up, mouth half open, staring at Weiss.

"But you didn't deny it, did you?" She managed to get out, a smile spreading across her face.

Weiss could only scoff in return. "Whatever you think, Yang."

* * *

Weiss couldn't help but sigh, listening to Professor Port's lecture. It wasn't like he was boring her, or anything like that – Port's lessons always required her rapt attention, as there were lots of things the professor hid throughout his stories.

Her teammates seemed to think it was all fabricated and embellished, but Weiss knew better. He was a huntsman, and an instructor at Beacon no less; the man had to know what he was talking about.

"A particularly sly Beowolf attempted to flank me, but I knew better. I dodged out of the way at the last moment, and the beast collided with one of it's packmates, leaving them both vulnerable to my axe's blade..."

In fact, it was turning out to be one of the professor's tamer stories.

"With the immediate threats to my security eliminated, I then was able to turn my attention to the real challenge: a _triple-headed_ King Taijitu – now, I know that may sound peculiar, but such a thing does indeed exist. Or, at least, _existed_ , ha HA!"

' _Well, there goes that train of thought.'_

Weiss turned to see exactly how attentive her teammates were being.

Blake was napping. Yang was listening, although it looked like she was just listening because she was literally unable to do anything else. Ruby looked to be taking notes vigorously, but in reality was probably doodling again. They'd already given up on Port's class today, it seemed.

"Now then students, remember this..."

Weiss snapped her attention back to the mustached instructor; it was odd for Professor Port to address the class while in the middle of regaling one of his adventures, and he'd done it twice now. Even Blake must have felt _something_ off as she woke instantly, her eyes turned towards the huntsman.

"If you ever happen across a three-headed King Taijitu, you absolutely must retreat. However, know that you cannot outrun it, no matter how fast you are. Your best chance at survival is to either blind it, or take down at least one of the monstrosity's heads before your escape – yet even then, the odds aren't in your favor."

A chilling silence made Professor Port's classroom it's home. It filled the room for a few seconds, before the bell signaling the end of classes rang.

"Unfortunately, I'll have to continue with this topic on Monday. Enjoy your weekend, students, and remember: stay vigilant!"

"Sheesh, the one time I want him to keep going..." Yang groaned, resting her head on the desk in front of her. Her personality seemed to do a complete one-eighty as the blonde stood suddenly. "So, who's ready for tomorrow?"

"What are we doing exactly?" Weiss asked, although begrudgingly. It would be good knowing exactly what they'd be getting themselves into tomorrow, but at the same time, she _really_ didn't want to know.

"Aw, don't be such a downer. There's somewhere I want to stop by around one o'clock, but _otherweiss_ we can go wherever you guys or team JNPR want to go, eh?"

…

"Yang, that was terrible." Ruby commented, Blake nodding her agreement.

"I know, right?" Yang seemed pleased with their reactions, smiling. "Hey Rubes, seeing as combat class is canceled today, you think we should go get an early supper and start planning for our outing?"

Weiss' leader nodded along, "Sure, lets head to the cafeteria. Hold on, I'll go grab Jaune. He'll want in on this too."

Ruby dashed over to where the boy'd been sitting. By some odd scheduling issues, Jaune was the only member of team JNPR in their class – the other members had Port at a different time.

The heiress herself wasn't going to tag along however, at least not immediately – she had something else she needed to take care of first. She turned to Yang and Blake. "You guys go ahead, I'll meet you there. I need to talk to Professor Port about something."

The other two members of team RWBY shrugged, but Yang was the only one who spoke. "If you can't find us in the cafeteria, message one of us, okay?"

"Will do." Weiss responded.

The white haired heiress stepped out to the front of the classroom, waiting as it steadily emptied. Professor Port typically liked to stick around in case any students had questions – which were rare, all things considered.

Weiss wasn't exactly sure why she waited for the room to be practically empty, but Professor Port was patient. It was odd, how he just _waited_ , knowing Weiss wanted to speak to him. She even found it a little unsettling, the older man standing where he'd been almost the entire class.

"Miss Schnee. What can I do for you? Any questions?"

Weiss smiled. "Not really a question, so much as a request."

"Oh?" The veteran's mustache twitched in anticipation, as one of his bushy eyebrows raised slightly. "And what exactly is this request?"

Well, there was no use beating around the bush. "I was wondering if you were able to grant me and Jaune Arc permission to enter the Emerald Forest this Sunday."

"Ah. I most certainly can do that for you, Miss Schnee. I've heard from the headmaster that you were assisting in the young Arc's training."

What? "The.. The headmaster told you?"

"Why yes, of course. Allow me to write a permission slip for you... so long as you do me a favor."

A favor, for Professor Port? "What do you need?"

"As much as this may be a shock to some of my students, I am actually rather attentive. I noticed you 'sneaking' into class the other day... and I know that Jaune Arc was late as well."

' _So he did notice_.' "I'm so sorry Professor, It won't happen again-"

"Actually, Miss Schnee, it would be _better_ if it _did_ happen again."

Uhh... "What?"

The large professor cleared his throat before explaining. "I noticed you enter the class late, but I didn't see Mr. Arc enter. I must know exactly what he does to disguise his presence so. There are days when I notice the boy's missing, and then suddenly, he appears."

"So... you want me to make sure he's late? To see if you can... detect him?"

"Precisely. At least one day out of the week would be okay. So long as you can manage that, you can ask me for permission for anything. I'll also keep your morning trips to the teacher's lounge quiet."

The fact that the teacher knew about her training with Jaune wasn't all that much of a surprise – but her return trips to the teacher's lounge for morning coffee? She'd been extra careful to avoid detection, but apparently that had all been for naught.

"Look into my eyes." Weiss tried, but the man's natural squint made it difficult. "These are the eyes of an experienced huntsman. These eyes see more than the average person – but for some reason, I've never caught Jaune Arc coming in late. It's a challenge just as much as taking on a Goliath barehanded. And I would know."

Weiss wasn't about to dispute the professor's logic – or his claim. "Understood. I'll make sure... Jaune's _late..._ occasionally."

"That's all I ask, Miss Schnee." Professor Port handed Weiss a piece of paper – apparently already having written up the permission form.

Professor Port strode past Weiss, resting a big hand on her shoulder temporarily as he passed.

Weiss just stood there, staring at the form in her hands.

' _What... what just happened?_ '

Oddly enough, Weiss thought back to the professors previous lectures.

' _Okay, Skitters exist... So do three-headed King Taijitu... what's next...?_ '

* * *

 **Weiss, welcome to the Cult of Port. Stay awhile, have a few drinks.**

 **This chapter was meant to be more humorous than anything else, but also meant to send the plot forward a bit. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but whatever.**

 **A quick announcement: Updates for Just A Few Pointers are going to start being a little more infrequent. I'll try and keep the length between chapters to under a month, but with life giving me so many oranges, I've got a lot more lemonade to make. Back when I started this story, as well as Technician (which should also have a significant drop in it's update rate), I was a lot less busy. Now that I have tons of other things to do besides writing, production is going to slow to the point that I can't guarantee consistent updates.**

 **I'm not saying that there won't be any updates soon, just that the updates will be more sporadic - like how this one is coming out nearly two weeks after the last. It might be only one week until another chapter, or it might be three - I don't know for certain. I'm not good with deadlines like Coeur Al'Aran is. (Go read his stuff if you haven't already. Seriously)**

 **See you soon!**


	7. Date?

**Hey all, here's the next chapter. Only a little bit ( _two weeks_ ) more than two months since the last chapter! Ha ha. Ha.**

 **Ha. Sorry.**

 **Anyways, this chapter is** **officially labeled on my computer as 'JaFP Chapter 7.4'. Because it's my fourth _goddamn_ attempt at writing this chapter. Every other attempt obviously ended in half-failure, in that it was probably good enough for you guys, but it wasn't good enough for me.**

 **Any who, I hope you guys enjoy this. The next update shouldn't take _nearly_ as long, but who knows what fate has in store for me?**

* * *

Weiss came to one conclusion walking through the streets of Vale: the city was beautiful. A unique fusion of both old _and_ new.

Rustic buildings looking as if they were straight from a history book hugged the streets, framing the sidewalks. Yet, at the same time, everything was still quite modern: There were holographic streetlights, just like back home in Atlas, and the downtown skyline was visible, the tall buildings reaching up into the sky – Yet, from where Weiss was standing, downtown seemed like it was worlds away.

The air felt different down in Vale too. As it was early morning, the sun was just starting to warm the air. The result was an odd mixture of moisture and heat, but Weiss still felt a chill.

It was pleasant.

However...

"Yang... there's no way you can just take someone to a club for a first date!" Jaune complained.

"Hasn't stopped me before." Weiss' teammate flippantly responded.

...When did they even start talking about this anyways?

"Okay then Jaune... what would you do?" Yang quizzed, the girl walking backwards to face her fellow blonde. "Where would you take someone on the first date?"

"What would _I_ do?" Jaune asked himself aloud.

A few seconds passed, Yang leading them down the sidewalk en route to her – _their –_ destination. Wherever they were going, neither Weiss nor Jaune had been told, and they were the only ones accompanying Yang.

Weiss had, in fact, agreed to tag along with Yang when both teams split up into their groups, mostly because she still felt a _little_ guilty about avoiding the first trip. The heiress couldn't even remember why she had wanted to avoid going to Vale with Yang the first place; the blonde member of team RWBY seemed quite amicable currently.

Jaune tagged along because he had no reason to go with either of the other two groups.

Wondering what the other groups were up to, the heiress pulled out her scroll, checking her messages. One from Ruby, and one from Blake. Weiss smiled to herself. Ruby's text message was nearly a paragraph of unnecessary information, while Blake's was three words. She quickly skimmed through Ruby's, picking out the important information.

There were three groups formed by the members of RWBY and JNPR; Ruby's, Blake's, and 'Yang's'. Ruby only had Pyrrha, and the two of them were out buying ammo for both teams. Blake was with Ren and Nora, and was showing the two members of team JNPR where a decent bookstore was, the pair growing up outside of Vale. That left Jaune and Weiss with Yang.

"I'd take her to the movies."

Yang laughed loudly at Jaune's answer. "The _movies_? _Why_?"

"Well, if she likes the movie, it's something we can talk about after." Jaune explained. "If she doesn't like the movie... I guess we'd leave and find something else to do?"

"See, that's where your date fails though. Where are you going to go if you have to walk out on the movie?" Yang asked. "You'd need to have a back-up plan prepared – something close to the theatre you just left..."

Jaune nodded to himself, scratching his head.

"Why not a restaurant?"

The two blondes turned to face Weiss, the heiress having made the recommendation impulsively.

Yang spoke first, after a moment of silence. "Do you mean like, going to a restaurant in the first place?"

"I meant it more like... if you have to leave the theatre, the closest thing would typically be a restaurant, wouldn't it? Or better yet, if there any dinner theatres in Vale, maybe go to one of those? Then, if the movie is bad, you still have the food."

Yang hummed. "That doesn't sound like you, Weiss. It'd work, I guess."

"Well, it was just a suggestion." The heiress noted.

"Okay..." Jaune started, "then what would _you_ want to do on a date? Where would you go?"

Weiss hadn't been expecting the question – though she knew she should've. She'd been doing a good job of avoiding the conversation altogether, content to just listen to the two blondes debating... but she realized she _wanted_ to talk. She _wanted_ to be included.

"I'd want to go to a concert." Weiss answered after a moment of thought. Yang's face morphed into a grin. Weiss noticed the implications, and then instantly shot the blonde brawler down. " _Not_ an _Achieve Men_ concert. I hardly consider that music." Yang's grin disappeared, replaced by a pout.

"A concert? Really?" Jaune asked, incredulous. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Not _Achieve Men_ , obviously." Yang grumbled.

Weiss made the decision to ignore Yang's comment, answering honestly. "Solo performances are nice. I have a preference for piano concerts though... _Sableir_ has to be my absolute favorite pianist. I was lucky enough to actually perform alongside her once!"

"Wait, _perform_?" Yang questioned. "I have no idea who Sableir is, but you perform as well?"

Weiss smiled. "I can sing and play the piano myself, but I prefer the former. I've even had a concert all my own. But..."

"But...?" Yang prodded.

"I'm no musician. I'm going to Beacon to be a huntress, and that's that."

Yang nodded, perhaps accepting the explanation.

As the three walked, Weiss realized that Jaune had been rather quiet since asking her about what music she liked. Seeing him walk, his eyes focused on the sidewalk before him... he seemed thoughtful.

"It'd be nice to hear you sing one day." Jaune noted finally.

Weiss smiled, taking what she'd normally have seen as an empty handed compliment in stride.

"Maybe one day."

"Well, this is it." Yang mentioned, stopping abruptly. Weiss looked past her teammate, examining the building in question. It looked for all intents and purposes like a garage – except there were no signs proclaiming to the public exactly what it was. Only the large bay door typical of a place that stored vehicles, and a much smaller side door gave the heiress any indication where they were.

Yang turned, "I'm going to head inside. You two wait right here."

Jaune and Weiss nodded, although Yang didn't even wait for an answer, making her way over to the smaller door. The blonde opened it widely and let herself in. After a few moments, the garage door started rising, the whirring of a motor pulling it open.

That wasn't the only motor running though, as Yang, riding a bright yellow motorcycle came rolling out the garage. The blonde, wearing an equally yellow helmet, pulled up next to Weiss and Jaune, halting briefly.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later."

' _Wait, what_?' "Where are you going?" Weiss questioned hastily.

Yang simply shrugged. "Around?"

After revving her engine once, Yang took off, 'whooping'.

"Bwah?"

The noise Jaune made showed that he was equally as surprised as Weiss was. The heiress could only watch as Yang rounded the corner, the squeal of her bike's tires against the paved street below.

Weiss just stood there, the remaining blonde at her side.

A minute passed, the sounds of Yang's bike having long since faded.

"So... are we supposed to keep waiting here?" Jaune suggested.

"I..." Weiss breathed out, bringing a hand to her forehead. "To be perfectly honest... I really don't know."

"Huh."

* * *

"I can't believe she just _left_ us there! Oh boy, is she going to get a talking to when I see her again."

Jaune flinched reflexively, Weiss' words – while not threatening towards him in anyway – were still sharp enough that he tensed up. Even back when he'd been constantly hounding Weiss for a date, she'd never been _this_ volatile.

Jaune did the most intelligent thing he thought was safest: he remained quiet, nodding his head at anything that seemed like a question.

"Like, _seriously_! We both agree to go with her, and she just leaves us behind, to go on some sort of joyride." Every step Weiss took seemed to radiate hostility. "Now, both you and I are stuck walking around Vale, with absolutely _nothing_ to do."

' _Nothing to do_?'

…

"Hey, Weiss..."

" _What_?" The girl turned to face Jaune, planting both feet defiantly.

Jaune was more scared of her now than when they were training – and that was saying something.

"Why don't we..." The boy struggled to find the words, standing in the path of Weiss Schnee's icy stare. "Why don't we do something then?"

The heiress planted a hand on each hip, leaning forward slightly. "What do you suppose we should do?"

' _What would calm me down? What would calm me down?_ ' Jaune looked around, searching for ideas.

"How about... a walk in the park?" Jaune suggested, gesturing in the direction of what looked like a secluded green space – plenty of trees, flowers, and a nice cobble path. A stroll through there would certainly seem nice.

Weiss turned her head, taking one glance at the sign above the gate. The heiress sighed.

"Jaune, that's a cemetery."

'... _Oh_.'

"Uhh...Coffee?" Jaune asked, pointing in the opposite direction.

"There's no cafè over there." Weiss pointed out.

Jaune took a breath – either he was going to succeed, or he was going to fail. _Hard_. The boy smiled. "You know what? We'll find one eventually. Let's go."

The blonde began to walk, stepping past Weiss and placing a hand on her shoulder briefly. He hardly felt her tense up at the contact, but she still did. After taking a couple steps past her, Jaune heard the light clicking of her heels on the stone beneath them.

It was a small victory, but hearing that Weiss was following him was reassuring.

"Do you know of any good places to get coffee around here?" Weiss asked moving to step beside Jaune.

Jaune shook his head. "Not really, but I'm sure we can find somewhere if we keep an eye out."

"Fine by me."

The blonde couldn't be sure... but did Weiss seem at least a _little_ calmer? He turned to watch her face as they walked, and she looked a little better. She didn't seem stressed anymore, that was for sure.

"I thought we were looking for somewhere to get coffee, _Jaune_?"

"Eh, sorry."

' _Was I just... staring_?'

It was odd. When he'd first met Weiss, he'd thought she was attractive – not that she wasn't now but...

Weiss was his friend now, wasn't she? She wasn't someone to admire from afar, or someone to chase after. The girl walking beside him was real. She was close.

But was she someone who he could have had a relationship with? Had she, miraculously, accepted one of his earlier proposals for a date?

Not a snowflake's chance in hell.

In a way, Jaune was thankful she'd turned him down the sixty-seven times he asked.

" _Jaune_..."

The blonde glanced away from Weiss' light blue eyes, and in that moment, found salvation.

A set of wooden double-doors, wide open, with a giant cut out of a tea cup hanging from a chain just above the entranceway.

"Why don't we try this place?" Jaune supplied.

Weiss turned, scanning the front of the café. After a moment, she hummed, showing uncertainty.

"Hmm... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try it."

' _Good_!'"Let's head on inside then."

Weiss took the lead this time, striding through the open doors. Jaune followed her, pausing before a counter, at a sign's behest: 'Please wait to be seated' the sign read.

Jaune looked into the main area of the café on his right. The place looked deserted, not a soul sitting at any one of the many tables. There appeared to be a set of stairs leading up above, but whether that was a living space or an add-on to the café Jaune was uncertain.

"Do you think they're open?" Jaune asked, feeling a little unsettled by the lack of customers.

Weiss didn't respond vocally, instead stepping closer to the counter, ringing the bell that would announce their presence. A few seconds passed, before Weiss rang the bell twice more.

Just when Jaune thought it was time to leave, the boy heard the light pattering of footsteps from the floor above them. He smiled, relieved that they weren't going to have to go somewhere else.

"Sorry about that!" A masculine voice called as it's source's form descended the stairs quickly. Despite the man's apparent age, he moved quite quickly. As he pushed his glasses further up his nose, the elderly man grabbed a couple menus. "Short staffed today – one of my girls couldn't come in on important business. Table for two?"

"Yes please." Weiss answered before Jaune could.

"Rooftop patio, or indoors?"

Weiss turned to Jaune, as if deferring _this_ option to him. "Patio sounds nice."

The café's owner nodded, not a single strand of slick brown hair moving. "If you two would follow me please."

The man took off back up the stairs from whence he came – although slower this time. Jaune motioned for Weiss to go first, and the heiress did. Only when Jaune started to follow Weiss, did he realize the error of his ways.

Jaune averted his eyes, blushing, before he realized he didn't really have to – Weiss' skirt blocked any sort of unintentional flashing. But still... he'd have to be much more careful if a similar situation arose, and a girl was clad... differently.

Being called 'Vomit Boy' by Yang was enough. He didn't need to add any more aliases – especially ones that were particularly incriminating.

Cresting the top of the stairs, it looked as if the café actually had _some_ patrons – a table of three teens and one giant of a man were relaxing in the corner closest to the stairs. They paid Weiss and Jaune no attention as the two were sat on the furthest end of the patio, closest to the railing.

"Today is Saturday, so our special cheesecake is half off today – perfect for the two of you." The owner placed the menus before them as they sat, asking "Can I get you guys anything to drink, while I give you time with the menu?"

"Coffee, please." Weiss started. "Two sugars. No cream."

The owner smiled a little uncertainly. "Sorry, miss. We don't fix your coffee here; we allow our customers to do that themselves." The man motioned to the table – on which sat a glass container of sugar, as well as a steel pot of cream, resting in a bowl of ice. "My apologies."

Jaune watched as Weiss blushed lightly. "Oh no, it's quite alright."

The owner bowed slightly, before turning to Jaune. "And you, young man?"

"I'll have a coffee as well, thanks."

With a nod, the man stated, "I will return shortly."

Jaune returned the owner's nod before he left. When he'd disappeared back down the stairs – likely to get their coffee, Jaune turned to Weiss, who was staring at the sugar and cream on the table intently.

After a moment, Weiss spoke quietly. "He put those out just before he came downstairs."

Jaune tilted his head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"None of the other tables have any sugar or cream – and this ice hasn't even started melting yet."

The boy looked around, inspecting the other tabletops. Indeed, they were devoid of cutlery, napkins, and the coffee fixings – the only exception being the other occupied table. While it was a peculiar thing to notice, Jaune couldn't help but feel a little unsettled as well.

"Odd." Was all the boy could say in response. "Did he... know we were coming or something?"

Weiss only shrugged.

Before he knew it, the owner was approaching their table again, a tray balanced in his hands. "Your coffee." The man placed the carafe at the center of the table, placing a cup before both teens. "Have you two decided whether you'll be having anything off the menu yet?"

' _Crap_.' Jaune hadn't even looked at the menu yet. In a bout of social awkwardness and panic, Jaune answered how he probably shouldn't have: "The cheesecake special, please."

The owner nodded politely. "I will return shortly." He repeated.

' _Uhh_...'

Jaune watched the man disappear down the stairs for a second time."Did he just... _not_ ask you if you wanted anything?"

"Hmm?" Jaune turned to see Weiss' reaction, just to see the heiress pouring sugar from the container into her teaspoon, likely measuring precisely what she wanted in her cup. "Sorry, I was... _focused_. What was that?"

"He just... took my order, and then didn't ask you if you wanted anything." Jaune explained, wincing with each word in fear of the outburst Weiss might have.

"...Oh." Was all Jaune got, the girl taking a sip. "I'll just let him know when he comes back. You should pour yourself a cup."

Jaune's fingers twitched as he reached out for the carafe. No reaction? Weiss had been ready, willing, and certainly _able_ to freeze an entire city block earlier, courtesy of Yang... and now she was just _perfectly_ okay with being ignored? That didn't add up.

After shakily pouring himself a cup, Jaune began to fix it up – only he mistakenly poured cream into it instead of sugar. He sighed.

Oh well, he wasn't _that_ particular about his coffee. Jaune poured in just the right amount of sugar afterwards, and took a sip.

The boy appreciated the silence, only the small amount of chatter from the other occupied table, and the occasional chitter of birds disturbing it – though the noise was more... what was the word again?

"Hey Weiss?" The girls eyes met with his as he called her attention. "What's the word for sound that's... just sort of there? Not like, background music, but..." Surely she'd know it.

"Ambience?"

Of _course_ she'd know. "Ah, that was it. Thanks."

Weiss smiled, her eyes closing. "You're welcome."

The _ambiance_ was soothing.

Jaune was halfway through his first cup when he saw the café's owner approaching out of the corner of his eye.

The boy struggled to not spit out the coffee he currently had in his mouth as he saw exactly what the man was carrying to the table.

The cheesecake was slid onto the table with the practiced ease of one who'd been waiting tables a long time. Although, the cheesecake was nothing like what Jaune had expected...

It was absolutely massive. And heart-shaped. And conveniently enough... it came with two forks.

"Your cheesecake, sir." The owner backed away, giving Jaune a combination 'smile-wink-thumbs up'.

All Jaune could do was stare, mouth agape, as the man turned away.

"Jaune... _what is_ _this?_ "

The blonde could almost feel his blood freeze in place.

"The... uh... the cheesecake special."

Weiss' eyes were steel. "But why is it _heart-shaped_ , Jaune?"

"I... don't know. I had no idea." Jaune answered beneath Weiss' stare.

Agonizing seconds passed, as Weiss continued to bore into Jaune's eyes – unyielding. Jaune actually felt like passing out.

"You can't eat all that yourself. I'd assume that's why he didn't ask me if I wanted anything." Weiss noted. "He did say 'perfect for the two of you' if I remember correctly."

Jaune's forehead wrinkled in thought. "Did he?"

Weiss sighed. "Oh well." The girl grabbed one of the forks. "So long as you don't... _read into this_ -" She pointed the fork directly at him. "I''d be happy to take my share."

The boy nodded, hands raised in obligatory surrender. "Understood." Jaune stated, before he reached for the other fork, carving into the cake. The boy took a bite.

"This is _so good_." Weiss' words mirrored his own thoughts.

"Isn't it?"

* * *

Ruby sighed, readjusting her grip on one of the 'ammo bags'. She had no issue carrying heavy loads – not at all. But the awkwardness of the straps and the imbalance within the bag were making her burden a little more cumbersome.

The girl turned slightly, seeing that Pyrrha was having no issues with her own munitions. The 'P' of JNPR had even offered to carry the heavier stuff – although, as it was stored in green, military-issue ammo boxes, it was likely a more balanced, _easier_ weight.

But there was no way Ruby had the muscle-mass to carry that stuff without pulling something... no way.

"Are you sure you're okay with that Ruby? I can trade you one of my boxes, if you're having trouble."

Sometimes, it seemed like Pyrrha was too kind. But... "No thanks, I've got this." Ruby panted out.

"You _sure_?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Ruby's eyes were drawn to a nearby bench that they were just about to pass by, however. "Maybe we could at least take a short breather though?"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Sounds grand."

The cloaked girl nodded, resting her own bag next to the bench, before sitting. Ruby leaned back, thankful for the rest. Pyrrha herself placed her crates next to Ruby's bag, before taking the open spot to her right.

"Today just feels like work." Ruby grumbled. "But at the same time... It's been fun."

Pyrrha nodded in response. "Yes. We got a lot of stuff done today. We got ammo for everyone, you got a replacement scope..."

Ruby perked right back up. She'd almost forgotten! The girl undid the top of the bag she'd been carrying, reaching a hand in to fish for the box that contained the greatest prize of the day: a brand new scope for Crescent Rose. It was the same model as the one she had now, but it was the only part she _didn't_ have a replacement for yet.

The scythe wielder quickly unboxed the piece, much to Pyrrha's apparent amusement. Taking the eyepiece in hand, Ruby stared through it, twisting the knobs – not needing to have it attached to Crescent Rose to zero it. She'd long since learned how to do such a thing on the fly, without firing a shot.

' _Hold on_...' Ruby took a closer look through the scope, peering into the distance. On a rooftop, what must have been half a mile away, she saw two people.

Not just two people. Weiss and Jaune.

"Ruby? What's up?"

The girl took her eye off the pair for a second. "Nothing. Just give me a second."

Looking to the nearest building, Ruby took off towards it. She leaped, hopping up the wall, reaching the rooftop in but a few seconds.

Ruby hadn't even realized she didn't use Crescent Rose to boost her way up.

She gazed through her scope again, watching as the pair ate... something. Whatever it was, they were _sharing_ it.

That just wouldn't do.

"What's up, Ruby?"

The girl nearly jumped out of her skin – apparently, Pyrrha had climbed the building as well.

Well, there was no point in hiding it; Pyrrha would just be suspicious at this point.

"I can see Jaune and Weiss from here through my scope. I don't see Yang though." She held out the scope to Pyrrha.

The other girl took it, looking through. "Whereabouts?"

"Rooftop patio, or something." Ruby answered quickly.

"Ah yeah, I see them. They seem to be having a... nice... time?" Pyrrha handed Ruby back her scope. "We should get going."

"Okay."

* * *

 **Hey, looks like some conflict (and some misinterpretation) ahead.**

 **Do try to remember that the characters of RWBY aren't mind-readers (or are they?). As such, there are things that are going through each and every character's mind that we don't know, simply due to perspective. In example, we don't know what Weiss is thinking in the café, simply because the scene is from Jaune's perspective.**

 **Please, as always, let me know if you guys find any errors, or things I 'may' have wrong. I tried my best to get this chapter 'proper', but I prioritized getting this to you readers, so there's bound to be a couple mistakes.** **Thank you very much.**

 **See you next time!**


	8. Language

**Ah, hello again. Good to see you. Are you doing well? I know I am.**

 **Here's another chapter. I do hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 _Ting_.

Jaune seized up, praying to whatever gods were out there that he hadn't disturbed the slumbering beasts that were in such close proximity – one of them only a couple feet away. If he woke them, surely they'd rip him apart.

Then, Nora gave a large snort, confirming that the clanging sound of Crocea Mors hitting the bed post had not been loud enough to rouse her, at least.

The blonde would have let out a sigh of relief, but he still needed to be as quiet as possible – same as any other morning he'd snuck out for his training with Weiss.

Originally, at least for the first week, it hadn't been 'training with Weiss': It had just been him – _alone_ – running laps around the training room, and occasionally around Beacon in it's entirety.

But running laps would never be enough. Not if he wanted to be a Huntsman. Jaune had realized that quickly enough – but also much too late.

The boy finished pulling on his shoes, standing up gently as his bed creaked in protest. One more glance at his teammates had been enough to reassure him that they were all still sleeping soundly. The blonde nodded, slipping through the door, closing it as quietly as he could.

"Morning Jaune."

Jaune turned, not jumping despite his surprise. "Oh, hey Weiss. You're up early."

"Of course I am. Did you expect anything less?"

Jaune opened his mouth to answer, before he closed it, deciding that saying 'Not really' wasn't a good idea. "Well, usually you're up a little later. Gives me time to warm up."

"Well, today's different, if you recall" Weiss stated.

Indeed Jaune did.

"Is it uh... too late to postpone our visit to the place where I almost died like..." Jaune counted on his fingers. "Four times?"

"Yes." Weiss said matter-of-factly, before starting to walk down the hall. "Besides, it's not like putting this off is going to help you any."

Yeah, Jaune knew that alright. "But _four times_ Weiss. I'm not exactly eager to add to that number. Besides, are you sure I'm ready?"

Weiss frowned at that. "Jaune, you're making a big deal about this. You made it through initiation just fine." ' _Yeah, 'cause I had Pyrrha with me._ ' "We won't even be going that deep in to the forest anyways."

Jaune took a deep breath, trying to assist Weiss' words in calming himself. He was stronger now – and he had Weiss with him. In the end, Jaune wasn't scared of the Grimm – not really. He was sure he could take a Beowolf or two on his own.

There was something much worse the blonde was afraid of... And that was being _discovered_.

After all, Jaune still hadn't _actually_ fought a Grimm yet. What if he did something wrong?

The Deathstalker in initiation didn't really count – he'd fought that one with his team. Pyrrha had taken care of anything they ran into before the cave, where Jaune had _woke_ the damn thing... So Jaune hadn't really done any fighting alone – even before Beacon.

He'd cheated to get in, after all. He was a _fraud_.

Would Weiss notice that? Had she noticed already, just not saying anything – never mentioning it, nor asking about it? No, Weiss wasn't that kind of person. If she knew, she'd have gone straight to the headmaster.

Jaune would have been back in Vale, expelled, before he even knew what happened.

The chilly morning air hit Jaune before the two even left the building. He'd been walking alongside Weiss mindlessly, not realizing where exactly they were. Jaune stopped as Weiss stepped outside.

"Hey, what about breakfast?"

"We'll skip it today." Weiss remarked, continuing to walk. "You can have a large lunch when we get back."

Jaune nodded along, catching up before realizing that Weiss had made an error. "But the cafeteria staff only give us fixed portions!"

"Then you can pretend it's a little more than usual."

"But... but..." Then Jaune saw Weiss' smile.

Was she just... teasing him?

"If you want to go back so badly, we _can_ get breakfast." Weiss suggested, although the way the girl voiced it, it sounded more like a _challenge_.

"Nope. I'm fine." Jaune responded defiantly.

"Good. We're almost to the cliffs anyways."

The blonde stopped mid-step. "The _cliffs_? As in, the cliffs we were launched off for initiation?" Weiss nodded. "I thought we were _walking_ there."

"Yeah, but we have to climb down the cliffs to get to the forest, after all. Don't you remember climbing _up_ the cliffs after initiation?"

...Ah, that was right.

"Jaune..." Weiss started. "You didn't think I was going to have us _launched_ into the Emerald Forest, did you?"

…

"Yes. Yes I did."

"… Idiot."

* * *

Weiss ducked behind a tree, only taking shelter momentarily before dashing away, propelling herself with a glyph. Not a second later, the tree shattered into splinters, demolished by the large paw of an Ursa.

"Jaune, get it!" The girl called, hoping the blonde was doing _something_ to slow the lumbering beast's rampage. She could only dodge it's attacks for so long.

"I'm _trying_!" Weiss heard from the other side of the black beast. "How the _hell_ am I supposed to get past these spines?"

If Weiss could take the time to groan and complain back to Jaune, she would – but she had other problems. The heiress jumped into the air, landing on a glyph momentarily to keep her suspended as the Ursa's claws sunk into the ground where she stood previously. "Go for the legs!"

The Ursa let out a roar, spinning on the spot to face Jaune, who'd likely done just as she suggested. Seeing the beast swinging it's paw carelessly, Weiss had to hold herself back from moving in for the kill. She'd let Jaune handle this.

There was a clang of metal meeting bone, as Jaune blocked the clawed slash of the Ursa. With a yell, Jaune pushed the beast's paw aside, before separating the Ursa's entire arm from it's body. With two more strikes, the Ursa ceased to 'live', falling to the ground in a heap.

"That..." Jaune panted. "That was a lot harder than it had to be."

Weiss nodded. It was partially her fault, anyways, though she'd never admit it – by being the one to initially get the Ursa's attention, she'd made it more difficult for Jaune to actually fight it. "The spines on the back are hard to get by, so it's easier to fight an Ursa from the front." Weiss explained. "Unless you have a lot of reach."

"Or Dust attacks, like you have." Jaune noted.

The heiress nodded again. "Let's keep moving"

"You know," Jaune started walking south – the _right_ way. "We haven't run into any Beowolves. It's been nothing but Ursa, Ursa, _Ursa_."

Weiss had noticed that too, but didn't really think anything of it. "That sounds like _complaining_ to me."

"I'm not complaining, just pointing it out, y' know?"

Weiss shook her head, checking her scroll. Her and Jaune had synced their scrolls earlier, so she had a display detailing both their current status and other information – including their coordinates and Aura levels, the latter being the one Weiss was checking.

The heiress had been conserving her own energy, only using her semblance when completely necessary. She was still well in the green, Jaune only slightly lower – though with their difference in Aura levels, Weiss knew Jaune had already used quite a bit.

Weiss didn't quite understand how someone could have so _much_ Aura. When they'd first synced, Jaune's Aura meter filled at a snail's pace compared to hers. If she had to hazard a guess, the boy must have had five or _six_ times the amount of Aura she had – and she considered her own Aura 'average'.

Of course, if he kept blocking when an Ursa swung a paw at him, full force his Aura wouldn't last.

"Jaune, you need to be more efficient." Weiss commented. "Only block if you _really_ have to – try to focus on dodging and deflecting."

The boy nodded, his back to the heiress. "I know that. Ursa are just a little... I dunno, intimidating? I feel much safer blocking."

Although she wouldn't admit it, she wasn't necessarily fond of fighting the bear-like Grimm up close either. At least, she wasn't until she learned how to use their size and slow movements against them.

However, how Weiss was able to handle an Ursa was probably impossible for Jaune. There were certain things she just couldn't teach, and it wasn't like the boy could become _faster_ with just a little training.

But she supposed that's just who he was. How he fought.

' _Just who he is, huh?_ ' Weiss thought to herself. ' _Was that what happened yesterday?_ '

Yesterday. The trip to Vale.

Even after giving Yang a somewhat stern talking-to when they were back at Beacon, Weiss didn't have any real answers. Everything that happened yesterday seemed so... meticulously planned. Perfect.

Like, seriously, it was almost obvious. It all started with Yang and Jaune talking about what kind of date was best – an odd topic of conversation, for sure. After that, Yang ditched the two, leaving them alone – _way too convenient_. Then, Jaune took her to a café, where there just _happened_ to be a table for two set up before they got there? Then Jaune ordered that _absolutely_ delicious cheesecake...

That was also heart-shaped, and intended for _couples_.

When that cake came out, Weiss was almost ready to stand up and walk out. But she stayed, thinking she was at least willing to let Jaune have his fun.

Yang, however, claimed no part in it – that there was no ruse. Apparently, the blonde had just taken her bike out for a little joy-ride, not wanting it to be sitting, collecting dust while she was at Beacon.

Of course, asking Yang about the café, had led to having to explain _everything_ to the blonde, as dangerous as that was.

That made Weiss think. _Think,_ that maybe the whole café thing that happened _wasn't_ some elaborate plan put in place by Jaune in order to have a 'date' with her – and that it was all indeed _just_ pure coincidence.

In the end, the biggest issue is that Weiss _couldn't_ confront Jaune about it – she couldn't be angry, or even complain to him.

She did have a good time, after all – at least, until she started to _think_ it was a set-up.

"Weiss, _look out_!"

Before the heiress could even react, Jaune's shield and a few inches of empty space were the only things separating Weiss from a set of sickeningly sharp claws. Weiss, despite her shock at being caught in her own thoughts, separated herself from her attacker.

Weiss' heart beat faster as she readied Myrtenaster. She took a look around, seeing if there were any other threats aside from the one Jaune had just saved her from. Confirming that there was nothing else, the heiress turned her attention back to the beast who'd almost removed her head.

The heiress shuddered, looking at the monster, covered in it's bone plates, a fearsome snarl beneath it's mask.

Jaune pushed the Alpha Beowolf's limb back, giving the beast a grand shove with his shield. Rather than pressing the attack, Jaune regrouped with Weiss.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked.

Weiss nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was... lost in my thoughts."

Jaune didn't respond, instead leveling his blade with the Grimm across from them.

…"Thanks." Weiss added. "Now, let's take this thing down."

"Wait, 'let's'?" Jaune asked.

"That's an Alpha, Jaune. I'd rather we both get out of this one unscathed." Weiss explained, bringing her rapier to bear. "Besides, if it attacked me first when I was lost in thought, it's obviously more intelligent than your average Grimm. We need to be cautious."

Jaune settled deeper into his combat stance, sword drawn back with his shield in front. "Got it. Should we charge it, or are we defending?"

If Weiss wasn't in a particularly life-threatening situation, she'd have shed a tear of pride. "Let it come to us."

Weiss stepped back slightly, Jaune moving forwards an equal amount. The Beowolf moved to their right – whether intentionally or not, it was positioning on their 'weaker' side.

After stalking sideways for a few more steps, the Alpha charged. Weiss waited – she'd move once Jaune did, in response to _whatever_ Jaune did.

The one thing Weiss wasn't ready for, however, was for Jaune to stab right towards the Beowolf as it leapt.

Jaune drove his sword directly into the ground, piercing the earth, and pinning the Alpha to the ground by it's neck. The beast twitched twice, but not a third time.

"That was... easy?" Jaune stated in confusion.

Weiss couldn't believe what she just saw – _seen,_ whatever.

Apparently, Jaune had picked up a little more from her than she thought.

As Weiss was about to congratulate Jaune on a nice kill, she saw more black and white just barely concealed in the bushes. "Get ready, there's more!"

Jaune planted his foot on the dead Alpha, pulling his sword from both it _and_ the dirt, before resetting his stance. With a growl, _another_ Alpha came out of the bushes.

"More than one?" Jaune asked incredulously. "Doesn't like, one Alpha lead a pack or something like that?"

"Not exactly. Port said something about there being entire packs of Alpha Beowolves one time in class."

"Entire _packs_? I hope we're not that unlucky."

As if Jaune's words cursed their very existence, Weiss watched as two more Alpha's pushed through the shrubs.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me." Jaune muttered.

This time, there was no positioning on the part of the Beowolves – all three rushing in, attacking from whatever angle they felt would succeed.

Weiss, doing what she figured was one way to guarantee her and Jaune's survival, casted an ice wall in a wide arc, hiding the duo from the Beowolves sight. The impromptu ice structure shuddered as the Alphas collided with it. It wouldn't buy them very much time – especially since the beasts were likely smart enough to know that there was an opening on the other side.

The heiress grabbed Jaune by his hood, giving it a tug. "We need to go!"

Jaune gave a hurried nod, and began running for the opening, shield raised. As Jaune was about to break free, one of the Beowolf assailants dropped before him.

Jaune didn't stop, battering the larger-than-average beast aside. With precision rooted in years of training from both her father and her sister, Weiss blinded the beast with two quick strikes – unless she wanted to waste more Dust and Aura, she wouldn't be able to kill them with Myrtenaster's blade alone.

Although, half of Weiss wanted to reason that it wouldn't be a waste if it kept them alive – but the other half wanted to believe that the two students were still the ones in control. That they weren't really in danger.

Weiss caught up to Jaune – who'd only really been a few yards away at most. "We should keep running, find an area with less vegetation." It would be much easier to fight the Beowolves if they could deny the Grimm the height advantage they got from being able to strike from the treetops.

"What do you mean 'less vegetation', we're in a forest!"

Weiss scoffed. "You know _exactly_ what I mean. This is no time for jokes."

Eventually, Weiss and Jaune broke through the wall of trees, into a rather large clearing. Upon closer inspection, Weiss found they were somewhere familiar.

"Isn't that were the relics were?" Jaune asked, as if he hadn't already been at the ruins himself.

"It is." Weiss noted, turning with her blade at the ready. "This is a good spot to face them."

The girl didn't take her eyes off the forest, waiting for the beasts to come out at any moment. In her peripheral vision, Weiss noticed that Jaune was keeping an eye on their backs, but still ready to turn and face whatever threat was on its way.

It was surprisingly clever of the blonde. Weiss closed the distance between him and her, also ready to assist _him_ if the Beowolves attacked from behind instead.

The world was eerily quiet as the two waited.

It felt like minutes passed, and Weiss heard the clattering of Jaune's armor as he lowered his weapons slightly.

There was no way those Alphas gave up the hunt. Not a chance.

But then, a couple more minutes passed, and Weiss found herself lowering Myrtenaster curiously. "Are… are they gone?" Weiss asked of the blonde accompanying her.

"I'm not sure." Jaune stated uneasily, though he seemed to relax a little himself, lowering his weapons. "I doubt they'd give up that easily. Maybe they're waiting for an opening?"

Weiss nodded, though the heiress wasn't sure if Jaune was looking at her or not, her own eyes still scanning the woods for any traces of red, white, or black. "We should be cautious. Let's head for the ruins where the relics were."

Keeping a watchful eye out, Weiss followed Jaune towards the structure. The pedestals where the initiation relics had sat were still there, and Weiss made her way over to one. Taking one last look around, Weiss hopped lightly, sitting on the pedestal.

It was actually quite comfortable… considering it was made of stone.

"Uhh…?" Jaune sounded, looking at her awkwardly.

"What? We have no 'mission objective'. We're out here training." Weiss huffed. "We should take a short rest while we can. But stay alert."

"Got it."

Weiss watched as Jaune turned to face the entrance of the 'temple' looking down at his scroll, but continually glancing up to make sure he wasn't being snuck up on.

"Hey Weiss…"

"Yeah?"

"Have you been keeping an eye on your Aura?"

Weiss frowned. "Not really. Why, is there something wrong?" The heiress reached into her pouch, pulling out the device that was monitoring her Aura and vitals.

"It's just… I didn't expect that ice wall to take you down that much. Did you get hit at all?"

Looking to her scroll, Weiss realized exactly what Jaune was talking about. She'd just barely dipped into the yellow, bordering on green. "No, that's pretty normal for what I did. I wanted to make sure we got out of there, so maybe I went a _little_ overboard."

"I see. Usually, it takes a couple solid hits to get me down that much." The boy added. "I was just a little worried, I suppose."

Weiss smiled. "I'm fine Jaune. I'll be right as rain after a good night's sleep, anyways."

"Speaking of a good night's sleep, when did you want to start heading back?" Jaune asked.

The heiress hummed, giving that a little thought. "An hour or so?"

Jaune simply nodded. "Sounds good to me."

After Jaune said those words, there was relative silence for a few moments – birds were still chirping, and the barks of long distant Beowolves echoed, but otherwise, there was an odd calm. Though the two were going to have to stay attentive, Weiss was sure they'd be able to get a little more rest.

"Here they come." Jaune's voice almost cracked. "In… in the clearing.

Weiss sighed, pushing herself off the pedestal. She walked up to take place beside Jaune, about to ask how many before her voice died in her throat.

There were at least a hundred Beowolves – luckily, upon closer inspection, not all of them were Alphas.

Only about twenty of them were. ' _Only_ … _Only twenty_.'

" _Why are there so many_?" Jaune whispered with awe, and perhaps a tinge of _fear_.

The two of them could take them. They'd have to.

They'd die otherwise.

* * *

"Seriously, this needs to stop." Pyrrha stated with certainty.

' _Okay, that was good_. … _what next_?'

Or well, as much certainty she could present to a mirror. If someone were to walk into their dorm randomly – which was impossible – one might wonder what a four-time Mistral Regional champion was doing, talking to herself in the mirror.

It probably didn't seem like it to others, but for as long as she could remember, Pyrrha had never been much of a speaker. She was a _much better_ fighter. It wasn't that she was shy or anything – far from it – but more that… she never had the right words at the right time.

Nor was she very good at actually _saying_ those words properly. Which was why she was rehearsing in her dorm's washroom, while Ren and Nora were off getting breakfast.

Pyrrha hadn't been hungry.

Looking deep into her own eyes, Pyrrha continued, "I want to know what you're doing... it seems like every morning, you're gone. You never tell me _where_ you go, or _what_ you're doing. It's hardly conduct befitting a leader-"

Pyrrha smacked a balled fist against her forehead. ' _No, that's too aggressive... too hostile_. _And I'm making it about me again_.'

The champion shook her head vigorously, before gazing at her reflection again. "It's not just me; Ren and Nora... they're worried about you too. It's like you hardly even talk to us. I remember the first week of class - I remember it well, because it was so much fun... all of us, together."

' _No, that will just make him feel guilty._ ' Pyrrha reasoned, sighing to herself. ' _I don't want to guilt him into telling me what's going on._ '

Pyrrha turned, flicking the bathroom light off as she strode into the empty dorm. She paced back and forth, wondering how she was going to get Jaune to open up to her. With another long-winded sigh, she fell into her bed.

After a couple seconds – and a deep breath through her nose – Pyrrha realized it hadn't been _her_ bed she fell into. The redhead quickly scrambled out of Jaune's bed, blood rushing to her face.

"There's _no way_ I just did that." Pyrrha whispered to herself, attempting to rearrange Jaune's bed to the natural, messy state it had been left in.

Just as the girl shifted the boy's pillow, however, something caught her eye. Just barely sticking out of the pillowcase, there was something small, white, and out of place.

Curiously, Pyrrha pulled the paper free of it's home. It was simple, folded into a neat little square. The huntress in training felt her heartbeat quicken. ' _What could it be_? _A letter from home_? _But if that was the case, why was it in his pillow_?' The girl knew she shouldn't open it; she should just ignore it – put it back in it's place, and just leave Jaune's affairs to _Jaune_.

But she also felt she _had to_. What if it was blackmail – something Jaune didn't want to share because he was scared?

Besides, there was no one else there to judge her for being a _little_ curious, was there?

Pyrrha unfolded the paper.

Instantly, the girl knew that it wasn't written by Jaune: the handwriting was immaculate, and she knew _very well_ what Jaune's notes looked like – the few that he took. She scanned the page, noticing that it looked very much like a schedule.

Seeing the times, the days, Pyrrha realized exactly what it was: a training schedule, and a meticulously planned one as well. It had allotted breaks, warm-ups – which was scratched off – and even what specific exercises needed to be done that day. Of course, that only meant that Jaune had been doing one thing.

 _'Training_.' Pyrrha almost chuckled. ' _He's been so secretive about something so simple_?'

Though, the schedule brought myriad more questions to the front of Pyrrha's mind: Who'd made the schedule? One of the teachers? And what exactly was 'lockdown'?

Pyrrha refolded the paper, returning it to it's place.

Just in time, too, as Nora came crashing through the door. "Ohhhh, I'm _stuffed._ Pyrrha, you should have came with!"

Ren followed close behind, looking more haggard than he normally did in the morning.

Nora skipped over to her bed, hopping on top of it and letting it's elasticity bounce her briefly, before she settled, seated. "So Jaune's not back yet?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "Not yet, no. It's a Sunday though, so I think we can just let our leader do whatever he wants."

Besides, from what the schedule said, today _was_ a training day.

Ren hummed, taking a seat next to Nora. The boy, probably the more 'rational' member of team JNPR, took out his scroll, before flitting through the screens.

A moment passed. Then, Ren stood up in a panic.

"I think we should be worrying."

Before Pyrrha could ask what was wrong, Ren walked over briskly, holding his scroll so that she could see.

Jaune's Aura was in the deep red.

"What about his coordinates?" Pyrrha asked, a lump in her throat.

"The Emerald Forest."

* * *

"Holy..." Jaune panted from his knees, Crocea Mors planted in the ground next to him. He'd never felt so sore in his life – even after a regular training session with Weiss. "I've never... fought... so many Grimm in my life."

"That was... definitely... _something else_." Weiss agreed, sounding equally as winded as she leaned up against a ruined pillar.

All around the duo were the 'decaying' corpses of Beowolves – some just left with barely anything, some fresh enough that they hadn't even started yet. Jaune had remembered reading something about what happened to Grimm when they died, but he couldn't recall at the moment the exact words.

Or maybe that had just been in one of his comics? Possibly.

"You think we should...?" Jaune felt tired just speaking.

The heiress pushed herself off the pillar. "Head back? Certainly. You took quite a few hits there... one of the little guys even got me a little."

"You... okay?"

"I'll be fine. My pride as a Schnee's a little hurt, but that's it."

Jaune nodded, smiling while rising to his feet. The blonde pulled Crocea Mors from the earth, sheathing the blade before taking a deep breath. "Let's go then."

The blonde took two steps, before he stumbled, the ground shaking beneath him.

"Oh no." Jaune groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please, _please_ tell me that whatever it is, it _isn't_ a Grimm."

"It is." Weiss confirmed. "We should... probably... _run_?"

Jaune found it odd that Weiss' words got quieter with each syllable. Perhaps _fearing_ what could be the cause, the blonde looked up.

The odd mix of black and white scales, the glaring red eyes and the intricate designs on the crest of the heads. It was a textbook – _not that Jaune read many_ – example of a King Taijitu, with one _crucial_ difference.

Instantly, the boy began shaking.

"That's a..." Jaune trailed off.

"Three-headed King Taijitu, _yes_." Weiss sounded every bit as _scared_ as Jaune felt.

That made it worse.

"...We're screwed, aren't we?" Jaune mentioned off-handedly.

Jaune felt a hand grab for his wrist. "Not if we run. _Now!_ Into the forest!"

Being pulled away, Jaune felt his legs start moving before he realized he'd even _wanted_ them to. He felt so detached from his body – so very tired.

That was probably why, with a pained groan, he tripped over a tree root on the way out of the clearing.

"Jaune!"

With a last burst of energy Jaune didn't know he had, the boy managed to find purchase in the ground beneath him, before pushing himself forward.

The glow of the glyph beneath him, however, was not something Jaune had considered.

...

"Oh god, I killed him didn't I?" Was all Jaune heard through the ringing in his ears.

Jaune's eyes snapped open, the vision out of one of them _very_ blurry. He took a ragged breath before speaking. "I'm fine Weiss. What happened?" The blonde rubbed at his blurry eye, his hand coming away wet with blood. He followed the trail, finding that whatever wound he'd gotten, it was on his head - and it was _serious_.

Weiss was crouched over him, looking concerned with a bright halo of light surrounding her head.

It took Jaune too long to realize it was the sun.

"You went through a couple of trees, and were unconscious for a moment. I-" The heiress coughed unnaturally. "I used the last of my Dust and Aura to freeze the head that came for us."

Jaune looked over Weiss' shoulder - pain spiking through his head as his eyes tried to focus. Jaune saw the aforementioned head, frozen in place, yet the body writhed, struggling to free itself. The head's red eyes glared hatefully at the two students just beyond it's reach.

"Now we're screwed, right?" Jaune smiled, feeling defeated.

Weiss glanced away, before collapsing next to him. "There's going to be two new teams of _three_ at Beacon this year."

" _Shit_."

"Language, Jaune."

The boy didn't even have the energy to chuckle. Nor did he have the stomach to.

' _I'm sorry, Dad_. _At least you'll get your sword back_.'

"You came back for me." Jaune said quietly.

"I did." Was Weiss' response.

…

"Thank you, _Snow Angel_."

…

" _Asshole_."

Jaune closed his eyes, even smiling becoming difficult. He felt Weiss' fingers wrap around his own, and heard the sound of shattering ice.

"Language, _Weiss_."

* * *

 **I feel bad about this cliffhanger... but you're welcome. Expect Pt. 2 later (but soon).**


	9. Big Damn Heroes

**I was having trouble uploading this normally, so it's been copy-n-pasted. I blame any errors on that (even though it can't possibly be the reason why).**

 **I felt bad leaving the last chapter with a cliffhanger (like people do), so I (read: somebody else) figured it would be a good idea to get this out and away.  
**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Each stride Pyrrha took down the dorm hallway was agonizing in its own way, even though her muscles felt no strain. It was _agonizing_ , because no matter how fast she could run, today, it wasn't _fast enough_.

Jaune – her leader, _her_ _partner_ \- was in danger. Deep in the Emerald Forest, low on Aura, and likely fighting for his life. She needed to do something, and she needed to do it _now_.

Ren and Nora followed close behind, only trailing in the sense that there needed to be distance between the three teammates so they wouldn't end up a tangled pile of limbs. After all, the duo was probably panicking just as much as she was.

Pyrrha had made the decision to hunt down the nearest teacher, and get their assistance with going after Jaune. It wasn't what Pyrrha _wanted_ to do – the champion had half the mind to sprint all the way into the dense woods of the Emerald Forest on her own, but reasoned that doing so wouldn't be the best course of action.

If they could get a Bullhead, maybe even one of the instructors _themselves_ to help...

The champion was surprised she'd made such a rational decision, considering the circumstances.

' _There has to be someone! …There had better be someone!_ ' Pyrrha thought to herself, trying to memorize the route to the teacher's lounge. She'd hoped that they'd run into an instructor on the way, or any other member of the staff, but perhaps as it was late-morning on a Sunday, the halls were barely populated, even by students.

At least it gave her more room. Pyrrha turned a corner _hard_ , her shoes just barely gripping the hall floor as she tried to conserve as much of her momentum as she could.

She took off like a bullet, barely slowing. Another corner – the same maneuver. And then another.

After about a minute in full sprint, Pyrrha finally found herself in the Beacon courtyard. The stone beneath her feet wasn't slick, but it seemed to provide less traction than the interior flooring.

The redhead wasted no time in the courtyard, instead making her way to the main tower. She crossed the threshold. She didn't stop to look around, turning in the direction she _knew_ the teacher's lounge was.

Just as the door entered her vision, a red blur passed Pyrrha. The sheer force of displaced air given off by the newcomer almost made the champion stumble.

There was only one person who she knew could move that fast.

' _Ruby_?'

The blur _ignored_ the door, crashing through it, the rest of it swinging loosely from the hinges that were left.

… At least Pyrrha didn't have to waste precious seconds _opening_ the door.

Pyrrha slowed slightly in preparation, going from full out sprinting, down to a brisk jog. With a jump, clearing the ruins of the door that still remained closed, Pyrrha found herself in the center of the teacher's lounge.

Ruby was surrounded by a dull purple glow, hovering, and a couple inches from what appeared to be a coffee machine. Though the girl's outfit seemed to defy the laws of physics, her hair did not, a few stray strands lightly brushing against the ground.

"Miss Rose, what are you trying to _do_? Bring down this whole school?"

"Professor Goodwitch!" Ruby responded, seeming all too happy to be suspended upside-down. "We need your help! Weiss is in trouble!"

' _Weiss_? _Wait a minute..._ '

"So is Jaune!" Pyrrha stepped forward, getting the attention of both the leader of RWBY and the professor. "They're in the Emerald Forest, training. Jaune's Aura is in the red – they're in _danger_!"

What Pyrrha hadn't expected, was the lack of reaction from Professor Goodwitch. The blonde instructor sighed, pushing her glasses up before setting Ruby up on her feet with a flourish of her crop.

Ren and Nora – likely having fallen behind in the last stretch – slowly filed in, having to step over the ruined door to enter. They were quickly followed by Ruby's other teammates, Yang and Blake.

"Miss Goodwitch, we need a Bullhead – we need to go save them." Ruby stated, Pyrrha nodding her agreement all to vigorously.

" _Children_ …" the older woman strained, "You do not _need_ to do anything."

"Professor?" the voice questioning the older woman's statement belonged to Blake.

"Do you really think Beacon Academy, as well as it's staff, would simply allow some of our most prized students to… _die_ during a sanctioned training exercise?"

' _Sanctioned_?'

Pyrrha shook her head as if clearing it. "Wait, you mean Weiss and Jaune were _allowed_ out into the Emerald Forest? Just the two of them?"

Even during their initiation, when the forest was _filled_ with students, the two teams alone had to take care of a giant Nevermore, a Deathstalker, and numerous other Grimm while trying to succeed – that Jaune and Weiss were out there, _two students_ compared to the many who'd ventured out at the beginning of the year, without any back-up?

That was dangerous.

"Hold on just a moment..." If the professor didn't have everyone's attention, her icy tone would have _commanded_ it. "Do you mean to tell me that Mr. Arc and Miss Schnee _did not_ tell you they were heading out for training this morning?"

"No, they didn't say anything! Not at all!" Ruby answered.

The professor's gaze turned to Pyrrha, as if posing the same question to her as well. The champion shook her head vigorously.

" _One day_." Pyrrha heard the blonde professor mutter under her breath. " _Just one day_ …"

"Professor?"

"Your teammates are in good hands, worry not." Goodwitch stated, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "After all, Professor Port made the arrangements for their training trip, and I don't think there's anyone in this school who knows the Emerald Forest like that man does… as much as I might not want to admit it."

After a pause, Ruby's sister, Yang, stepped forward. "Uh, _Teach_?"

The professor acknowledged Yang with a nod, though she seemed reluctant to respond to the moniker the younger blonde used. "Yes, Miss Xiao Long?"

"What do you mean by arrangements?"

* * *

' _Well, I guess this is it then._ ' Weiss mused, not wanting to meet the eyes of the boy with a very fatal looking head wound, bleeding at her knees. Feeling suddenly drained, the heiress fell forwards, contorting her body so she wouldn't land on top of Jaune, instead landing heavily on her shoulder as she fell into the dirt. She smiled grimly, entertaining a stray thought that crossed her mind.

"There's going to be two new teams of _three_ at Beacon this year."

" _Shit_."

If Weiss even wanted to scoff, that would have been the perfect time. But with her hair trailing in the dirt as she turned her head towards him, the girl decided to simply chide her friend instead.

"Language, Jaune."

Weiss was sure she saw the corner of Jaune's mouth tweak lightly – as if to smile again – but the boy's lips didn't follow through, staring up at the imprisoned head of the three headed King Taijitu.

Didn't she teach him to do that? To _follow through_? How could he forget something so crucial?

The sun shone brightly in the sky, streams of light coming through the tops of the trees, warming where it touched her skin. It must have been high noon.

It was a nice spot, where they were laying.

"You came back for me."

Weiss considered Jaune's statement. It was more about the words that went unsaid: 'You didn't have to. But you did.'

"I did." Weiss reassured, struggling to move.

There was a light cracking noise. Weiss ceased to move.

' _No…It's still far too early for the ice to be breaking_ …' Weiss looked up to the Taijitu, seeing spotting a fracture close to the 'neck' of the creature. ' _I thought I had more time_.'

"Thank you, _Snow Angel_."

' _A few more seconds, that's all I ask for-_ ' Another crack sprouted, gaining Weiss' ire.

" _Asshole_." Weiss stressed, spiting the Taijitu.

It was obvious that the Taijitu was struggling to break free – the telltale twitches of its head, with its prey in sight. It was struggling, but it was also _succeeding_. Weiss quickly considered how to use that to her advantage, but nothing came to mind.

Weiss wrapped her hand around Jaune's, her other finding the hilt of Myrtenaster.

The ice shattered.

"Language, _Weiss_."

' _Just hold on Jaune… I'm not done saving you._ '

With a groan, Weiss called on what little Aura she'd recovered. The glow of a glyph fought the shadows around her and Jaune. All the strength the heiress could muster went into _one_ , _single_ , _step_.

The two didn't move very far, Weiss feeling her back impact against a tree, her perspective changing. But for now, it was _far enough_. The now freed head, one of three, impacted where they'd just been. Weiss actually _saw_ the lingering light from her glyph enter the snake Grimm's maw.

' _Too close_.' Weiss tried to remain calm – as still and silent as she could be – as the Taijitu searched for its lost prey.

A moment passed, before icy fear gripped Weiss heart as the nearest head turned to face them.

Two seconds. That was all her effort had wrought.

' _Damnit_.'

The head pulled back, prepared to strike. In a last, perhaps foolish effort, Weiss held her rapier out, point facing the snake that would shortly devour her.

Her and Jaune.

' _Jaune_ …'

Had this… been _her_ idea?

'… _How could I have been such an_ _idiot_?' Weiss closed her eyes, blinking tears away, not wanting to 'watch' as she died.

However, with her vision robbed, it seemed even more terrifying as the Taijitu shrieked. She felt the earth shake as it moved to attack.

Moments passed.

' _Am… am I dead_?'

Weiss felt her hand squeezed lightly. ' _No…_ _I'm_ _not dead_.'

"I'm… not dead?" Weiss asked herself doubtfully.

An unfamiliar voice answered. "Not yet, kiddo. If I were you, I wouldn't want to die either."

Weiss eyes snapped open, and the heiress saw a sight she'd never thought she'd ever see.

Light framed _somebody_ , standing a few feet into the clearing. Though her apparent savior was but a silhouette against the sun's rays, Weiss could tell she was female – both by her figure and her voice. But that wasn't what really had Weiss' attention; the girl was just what the heiress noticed first.

What really captured Weiss, drew her into the scene… was the severed head of the King Taijitu.

Weiss _actually_ couldn't believe her eyes. She had to blink repeatedly to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Wha…"

The heiress watched as another figure rose from next to the head – already beginning to dissipate. The man's height made it seem as if this Taijitu's head was the same size as a normal one – and Myrtenaster was a _toothpick_ compared to his blade.

"Well, you know…" Weiss' effeminate savior spoke, glancing over her shoulder. "I wouldn't wanna be caught _dead_ in those clothes."

Weiss, in confusion, looked down at her clothes. Nothing seemed to be wrong with them… sure they were a little dirty, and there were a few rips and tears that seem inevitable going through thick bush…

Was that… meant to be a jab at _her_?

"Excuse me?" Moments ago, she'd been face to face with what seemed like certain death, and now she was being _insulted_?

"Just kidding kid. Dress looks great… if I squint real hard."

How _dare_ she?

Before Weiss could snap back at her tormenter, the girl held up a hand, indicating silence. "Can you walk?"

The heiress thought about it, pushing one hand into the dirt in an effort to get up. Weiss found it extremely difficult to put any real effort into moving. She couldn't even stand.

The girl must have been watching. "Velvet!" she called out. "Need some first aid over here!"

That didn't stop Weiss from trying, however. It didn't matter who was there, or whether they could be protected– her and Jaune were immobile, and thus, still in huge danger. In fact-

' _Jaune_!'

Weiss looked down to the boy next to him, realizing she hadn't heard a peep from him since they'd last moved. He appeared to be unconscious, but Weiss feared the worst. The heiress uncurled her fingers, still wrapped tightly around Jaune's hand, and brought them to his neck.

' _He has a pulse. That's good._ '

'Velvet' approached out of the corner of Weiss' eye. The heiress tried not to flinch when she noticed the ears that at a top the girls head, but she couldn't help it.

' _This isn't the time, Weiss_!'

If the faunus noticed Weiss' reaction, she didn't show it – or maybe she just thought Weiss was flinching in pain. "Where does it hurt? I can help."

It took Weiss a couple seconds to gather her thoughts. The eyes of the faunus girl stared into her own – In a way, it was as if she was waiting for permission.

"I'll… I'll be fine. Help Jaune first. He got the worst of it."

The faunus girl nodded in response, turning and then crouching over the blonde. "This looks bad."

'Velvet' shrugged a small pack off her back, opening it before getting to work. She pulled out salves, bandages… she gave Jaune a shot – a painkiller or something – before proceeding to patch him up.

Weiss sat, keeping a cautious eye on the girl as she worked. Try as she might, however, Weiss couldn't keep up with the faunus' hands. Velvet was too quick, and it was clear she knew what she has doing.

When Weiss was satisfied that the girl wasn't doing anything… _odd_ , she turned her attention to the battle ensuing in the clearing.

The girl who's first showed up now had a _minigun_ , and was peppering the long body of the Taijitu with a veritable hail of bullets. One of the heads screeched, moving to strike its assailant. Where Weiss would have thought to dodge, the girl didn't move, continuing to fire.

She didn't even _flinch_ when the snake was stopped a foot away, held back by the sword of her other teammate.

Weiss propped herself up on her elbows, moving so that she could rest against the tree she'd nearly collided with in the effort to escape from the Taijitu. Carefully, she leaned back against it, closing her eyes.

"When did he get this head wound?"

Even with her eyes closed, Weiss figured the question was for her. "When I used my semblance to… to…"

"To teleport him?"

Weiss shook her head lightly – something that seemed easier now that she had at least a little rest. "It's not teleportation it's…" ' _How do I explain it_?'

"I guess you could say it's acceleration… but that's not right either." ' _What had Winter called it_?' "But when I 'moved' him, he barreled right through a tree."

"Ah, I must have missed it." Velvet noted, finishing with the bandages. "I mean, I saw the tree falling, but Coco had me in the back the moment the three headed King Tai showed up."

' _Coco_? _Ah, her._ ' Weiss recalled the one who'd teased her moments ago. ' _Wait_ …'

"So you guys were _just_ watching? The whole time?" Weiss asked, astonished. They hadn't helped at all, even when they were facing so many Beowolves?

"We've been following you. Since you guys left in the morning." The faunus confirmed, her ears twitching. "Professor Port asked us to."

That… didn't surprise Weiss at all, actually.

"Oh, I never introduced myself; I'm Velvet."

"Weiss Schnee." The introduction was significantly shorter than any other formal introduction Weiss had ever given, but with an intense battle raging so closely, and Jaune's health at risk, she'd kept it short. Perhaps a little unexpected, however, was the lack of reaction from the faunus. "So… who are you, Velvet? A huntress?"

"No, just a student like you. Second year, though."

"Oh. Okay." … "Wait, did you just say you're a _second year_?"

Velvet nodded, the Taijitu screeching again – this time, it was most definitely a cry in pain.

That second years were so… so _strong_ … just proved that she herself – as well as her team, Jaune, and everyone else – still had a long way to go.

Weiss didn't even think of protesting as the rabbit faunus moved to search her over for wounds, done with Jaune's for the moment.

"I have a question, if I may?" Weiss nodded. The girl didn't really need her permission, but the white haired girl appreciated the politeness. "Jaune here, he's not your teammate, right?"

Weiss was sure Velvet had already known that, but was just asking as a 'build-up' of sorts; there was something else she wanted to ask. "Right."

"But you saved him, at _great_ risk to yourself. Of course, he's your boyfriend and stuff, but…"

"He's _not_ my _boyfriend_." Weiss retorted. She was too tired to actually _snap_ back, and that would be extremely rude, considering the girl was tending to her wounds.

"Oh? My mistake then." Velvet apologized sincerely. "In that case… would you do the same for anyone else?"

Would she lay her life on the line for anyone? As a huntress, that was her duty, but… Weiss had to think about it for a few seconds.

… No. Definitely not. Weiss knew that while she wasn't necessarily 'special', if she lived while others died, she'd be able to help more people. It might sound a little… overly pragmatic… but she already knew saving _everyone_ wasn't possible. If she herself could survive in the place of others, she could ensure others survived as well.

Thinking of that… why had she saved Jaune?

Had she done it just on impulse? Not really… but she didn't exactly make the conscious decision to do it either. It was the same with Ruby during initiation; she just acted the way she saw fit at the time. She didn't think about it, but it wasn't like she was reacting.

But in the end, it was the results that mattered. Not in the way that the ends justified the means – like her father preached about – but in the way that, regardless of the 'mistakes' made, everything was turning out okay.

That was all _this_ was: a happy little 'mistake' that led to Weiss saving Jaune. Right?

Finally, Weiss felt she was ready to answer.

"I don't think I can just sacrifice myself for anyone. I don't think I'd be ready for that."

Velvet nodded, accepting Weiss' answer for what it was. "Can you roll up your sleeve a little?"

Weiss did so. She hadn't really noticed the tear in it – nor the wound hidden by the fabric, until just then. The heiress winced in pain. It was just a small gash, but when had she gotten that?

"I'll get that wrapped up for you in just a second."

"Okay."

The fight between what Weiss assumed were Velvet's two teammates and the Taijitu seemed to be winding down to a close. The snake Grimm's body had been perforated a multitude of times, courtesy of Coco's gun. The big guy with the sword didn't seem to be putting all that much effort – or maybe it was a lot of effort? – into distracting the head closest to Weiss.

It was only then than Weiss realized the third head of the unusual King Taijitu had been mysteriously absent. As if answering an unasked question, the center section where all three 'bodies' of the snake met bulged, and then _popped_. The head that _had_ to have been the last remaining fell to the dirt, giving one last twitch.

"Couldn't you have done that a little _faster_ , Fox?" Coco yelled across the clearing.

The _fourth_ member of Velvet's team revealed himself, stepping past the dead Taijitu. The boy didn't respond vocally, simply shrugging, his arm blades moving in tandem.

"Whatever." The minigun of Coco's condensed in a way Weiss didn't expect, taking the form of a small handbag. "Velvet! Do I need to call for a Bullhead?"

"That'd be a good idea." It wasn't Velvet that answered, but the burly man nearly twice her size. "I could carry them both, but that would be rather uncomfortable. For them."

Coco shook her head. "How'd you know 'Plan A', Yats?"

"That's always 'Plan A'."

Weiss felt oddly out of place, seeing the teammates bantering with each other. Luckily, she didn't need to clear her throat to get their attention or anything like that.

"Alright." Coco finalized, talking among her teammates. "I'll call for an airlift, and make sure they're ready for us in the infirmary too." A chorus of nods agreed, before the girl turned her attention to Weiss. "A bit rough for a romantic walk through the woods, but you're safe now."

The moment Coco said those words, a wave of relief washed over Weiss. The girl smiled, nodded, and rested her head back against the tree.

With in a few moments, she dosed off.

* * *

"Ruby, why don't we take a rest?" Weiss heard Yang suggest. "Weiss probably won't be very talkative when she wakes up anyways. She needs her rest as well."

' _In a way, she's not wrong._ ' Weiss thought to herself, having remained perfectly still, waking not a few minutes before her current predicament. Perhaps it was a little inconsiderate of her – she even felt a little guilty – but Weiss wasn't quite ready to come face to face with her team.

They'd ask questions, Weiss'd _want_ to answer them... but she was still feeling _way_ too tired. Originally, the heiress hoped that she'd fall back asleep simply by pretending to, but so far, it hadn't happened. With her teammates at her bedside, and Jaune's own team likely hovering over him, there'd been quite the commotion.

Weiss was actually surprised no one had come by to tell them to quiet down.

"You might be right." Ruby sighed, defeated. "We can go get something to eat _real_ quick, then come back."

"Sounds good." Blake supplied. So the girl had been there; The 'B' of RWBY hadn't said much, so Weiss just assumed she was elsewhere.

Yang hummed her agreement. "See if Ren and Nora want to tag along. I'd suggest you ask Pyrrha too, but..."

' _But what_?'

"Alright. Let's go." Ruby confirmed, as Weiss heard her steps moving further away. "Ren, Nora. We're going to get food... wanna come?"

"I wouldn't mind. Nora?"

"I guess..."

Weiss felt a pit grow in her stomach. That couldn't have been Nora; she'd never heard Nora sound so... despondent. She was always so energetic and _wild_.

Jaune was okay... but _still._

When Weiss first woke up, it had been the worst: it had been hard for her to fake sleep when she wanted to be _absolutely_ sure that Jaune was okay.

But the chatter of both her own teammates and the rest of JNPR confirmed that Jaune was _fine_. 'Superficial' damage only. With any luck, he'd make a full recovery in a couple days.

Weiss heard the door to their room click shut, and decided to risk opening her eyes. A shaft of sunlight came through the window to Weiss' right nearly horizontally. Early evening, not quite sunset. The room was about as bare as Weiss expected. The curtain that typically separated patients was drawn back, giving Weiss a clear view to where Jaune was laying.

The heiress smiled. The boy was hooked up to a couple machines – much like herself, she realized.

But the important thing was that they were both _safe_.

Weiss realized exactly why Pyrrha wasn't asked along for food: the girl was passed out, laid back in one of the infirmary's chairs. Guilt struck Weiss like a hammer yet again. No doubt the blonde's teammate had been beside herself with worry. In fact...

Did they know everything? Or did they just think that they overdid their training a little?

Weiss' eyes widened.

They hadn't even _known_ they'd been training.

Jaune was probably going to be out for 'longer' than Weiss would be. That meant she was going to have to explain everything to not only _her_ team, but Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha as well.

No matter what she'd learned about interacting with people – all the mannerisms, the etiquette – none of it was going to matter when she was facing the accusing glares of six of her fellow students.

The door swung open quickly, but quietly. Weiss didn't have nearly enough time to go back to pretending to sleep. She'd only managed to close her eyes by the time the newcomer spoke.

"Ah, you're awake."

Weiss opened one eye in curiosity. It was the girl who'd done first aid earlier, Velvet. She paced towards Weiss' bed, moving out of the doorway. The faunus wasn't alone, the giant of a man – Yats, if Weiss remembered correctly – moving over to take one of the chairs next to Jaune's bed.

"How are you feeling?" Velvet asked considerately.

Weiss moved to shrug, probably appearing as if she was struggling. "Tired. If I could go back to sleep, I would, but my teammates were hanging around, and I couldn't manage."

"They're worried about you?" Velvet asked as a question, but Weiss knew it was more of a statement. The heiress nodded. The faunus smiled. "I understand you needing rest, but I'm sure they'd feel a lot better knowing you were okay."

Weiss smiled back. "I'll be awake when they come back."

"Good." Velvet gently pulled Weiss' sheet down a little. "The nurses changed your bandages and such, but as my team's 'medic', I wanted to check for myself."

As Velvet worked, Weiss' eyes were drawn to the girl's ears once more. At first, she'd noticed them for what they were, but they seemed... familiar.

' _Ah! That's where I've seen them before!_ ' "Hey Velvet...?"

"Yes?"

"Aren't we in the same history class? Oobleck's?" Weiss quizzed.

"Yeah, that's right."

"I thought so." Weiss had another thought: "But why are you in a first-year history class? You're a second year, right?"

The faunus froze up temporarily, before she relaxed a little. "I had a different teacher in my first year. He was new, but he was also... well... a _racist_. I have to retake the course because he refused to grade my assignments as anything higher than a 'D'."

What? "That's awful!

"It is, but I talked to Goodwitch about it. He's no longer a teacher here, but I still have to retake the course. Luckily, the curriculum hasn't changed at all from last year, so I can just resubmit my old assignments. Although..." Velvet frowned a little. "Oobleck has us write a whole three pages more, at least, so I still have to do _something_."

Weiss nodded along. She had no issues with Dr. Oobleck as an instructor, but she understood where others came from with the immense amount of homework they got.

"Well, if anything, you have my sympathy." Weiss' father would have had a heart attack – a Schnee giving a faunus their sympathy.

"Thanks."

There was silence while Velvet continued checking bandages. Weiss smiled to herself. "It's up to you, Velvet, but if you want you can come sit with me in history class."

The faunus perked up, looking very excited. " _Really_!?"

Weiss nodded. "Of course. I owe you more than that for saving me and Jaune."

' _And I owe the faunus a lot more than that, entirely_.' Sure, there would always be a few bad apples – namely the White Fang – but Velvet seemed nice enough. That the girl was the only faunus she truly had any association with at Beacon almost disproved anything Weiss had heard before.

"Velvet?" Both Weiss and the rabbit faunus looked over at the source of the voice.

"What is it, Yatsuhashi?"

 _...That's_ his name? It was a mouthful...

Weiss hoped she could stick to calling him Yats.

"Jaune is waking up."

* * *

 **Does this count as a cliffhanger? I'm not sure it does, but w/e. Let me know what you think.**


	10. One's Reasons

**Hey guys, how're things? Got a new chapter for you. This one was challenging in it's own way. I hope you guy's like it. Dropping a surprising amount of references this chapter too. Kudos to anyone who gets them. Also, almost forgot my line breaks _again_.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

The young Huntsman strode through the saloon's swinging doors, his duster flapping as the pursuing draft flittered into the bar. Any conversation amongst the saloon's patrons stopped at his entrance. A few seconds passed, before the man pulled his hood further down, smiling at the bartender from within its shade.

As the Huntsman walked forwards, the chatter of the old style bar's occupants resumed – if not more boisterous and even louder than they were before. The man sat at the bar, tracing the scar that marred his own face with his index finger. " _Crusher_." He whispered quietly, so only the barkeep before him could hear.

" _Fireman_." Was the response the barkeep gave, sighing. With the exchange of code words complete, the barkeep slid the Huntsman a package, the recipient quickly stowing it within his jacket. The barkeep pulled a bottle off the shelf, grabbing a glass from beneath the bar."You _do_ know where it needs to go, correct?"

The Huntsman smiled wryly, accepting the drink the bartender just poured him. "As if there was any doubt."

With those words said, the saloon doors swung open once more, in entering a couple of local ruffians. They were mountain bandits – bandits, from the mountains. Dressed in patchwork clothes, swords strapped to their waists carelessly, they would have been intimidating, if it weren't for the goofy expressions they wore.

There was a similar response to the new entrants, almost mirroring that of the Huntsman who'd entered earlier. Only, this time the silence _kept_ as the newcomers moved towards the bar.

"Man, I am _thirsty – you thirsty,_ Johnny? Barkeep, _two_ glasses of milk if you would."

The huntsman who'd been sitting at the bar sneered. "Don't you know that... on a hot day, a glass of milk is a _bad idea_?"

And just like that, the two bandits collapsed, identical gunshot wounds in their chests.

…

"Okay, _no_ , I can't watch this movie anymore. This is a _travesty_." Weiss complained, standing abruptly and moving to walk out. Jaune, being the gentleman he was, proceeded to follow her.

"Come on, Weiss. That is _classic_ Spruce Willis right there!"

"No, that is _idiocy_. I never want to speak to you ever again, Jaune Arc."

* * *

Jaune gasped, his eyes snapping open. His fists clenched, much to his own discomfort. Why did that hurt? The blond tried to sit up, only to be pushed down by a hand almost as large as his head.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe now." A masculine voice managed to 'coo' softly, belonging to the owner of the hand.

"What... what about _Weiss_?" Jaune managed to squeak out – the hand was putting a lot of pressure on his chest. Jaune was just glad _that_ didn't hurt.

"She's safe too. Just relax..."

The blond tried his best to do so, taking a strained breath. The moment the man holding him down was certain Jaune wasn't going to act more erratically, he removed his hand.

" _Jaune_!"

The blond tilted his head in response to the voice, seeing his partner, Pyrrha at his bedside. "Hey Pyr... how are you?"

"How am I? _How am I_!? Jaune, we thought you _were going to die_?"

Jaune blinked; once, twice. It was coming back... the Beowolves... something big and dark... A _snake_.

But there was also an angel, a bright ring around her head as she explained what had happened – holding his hand as he breathed what he'd thought would be his last.

Jaune shuddered, praying Pyrrha didn't notice. "Nah, that's crazy."

Pyrrha stared into his eyes, and when he saw the tracts left by the tears she had cried – as well as how her eyes seemed to start to water _–_ Jaune knew: he messed up. "I'm _serious,_ Jaune."

"Hey, hey, _hey_. I'm okay, I'm here; I'm _alive_." He reached out a hand – _covered_ in bandages – and Pyrrha took it. Jaune had to hide his discomfort in having his injured hand grasped so abruptly, instead smiling. "See?"

"Mhm." Pyrrha hummed, nodding. Jaune didn't miss the tear that fell – chances are he'd never forget it either.

The last time he'd seen a girl cry, it had been... _no_.

Jaune didn't want to think about _that_ either.

In an effort to distract himself from his stray thoughts, Jaune looked up to the man who'd held him down moments ago. He seemed familiar... but the leader of JNPR couldn't put his finger on it. ' _Pyrrha's here, but where..._?'

"The rest of your team is getting food. They'll be back shortly."

Jaune nodded – wincing, as he found that motion in particular hurt more than any other. How had he known what Jaune was thinking?

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Jaune turned his attention to the girl he'd just noticed had been standing next to the tall man. She had a long pair of what appeared to be rabbit ears sticking out the top of her head. The blond gave her a light wave with his free hand. "Hello."

"Hi." Was the faunus' curt response.

Jaune groaned, closing his eyes once more. He went to stretch his legs, only to cringe. "Why does _everything_ hurt?"

The faunus girl spoke up. "Well, to start with, you literally had _no_ _Aura_ by the time we found you. All of your surface wounds are rather superficial – scratches at the worst. However, there were minute fractures in a majority of your bones, and you had a much more serious fracture in your skull. The fact that its been a couple hours since you were last given painkillers might also have something to do with how you're feeling."

" _Cool_." Was the only answer Jaune found suitable.

"Sounds like you might also be slightly _concussed_." The faunus noted, writing something down on a clipboard. "I'll... _hold off_ on fetching the nurse, though; she doesn't like to be bothered unless someone's lost a limb. Besides, your team has been waiting a long time to talk to you. As your Aura comes back to you, you should heal up fine."

"Great. Good to know." With his other hand _still_ held by Pyrrha, Jaune fumbled at the side of the bed, looking for its remote; the blond had actually spent a decent amount of time in hospitals when he was younger, being the eldest of eight children. As such, he had a good idea of what he was looking for. After a few seconds more of fruitless grasping, the bed's controls were pushed into his hand. "Thanks."

The taller man hovering over his bedside hummed positively, standing back as Jaune played with the remote, manipulating the bed into a seating position. Once he was more comfortable, Jaune looked around the room, noticing for the first time his 'roommate'.

The icy blue eyes stared back at him, but despite their cold appearance, the smile beneath them seemed to fill him with warmth. ' _She IS safe_ '. "Hey Weiss."

"Hey Jaune."

Jaune looked at the bandages covering his hands. Feeling around his head, he noticed it was wrapped up too. Seeing nothing of the sort on Weiss, Jaune made an easy assumption. "I got it worse than you did, I'm assuming?"

It took a moment for the heiress to respond. "Yes."

Jaune leaned back into the mattress – this time, not caring how much it hurt. He breathed out slowly, making sure no one heard him whisper: " _Good_."

The door to their room slid open – almost being _slammed_ open – and there were two names called out, by two equally energetic girls.

" _Jaune_!" " _Weiss_!"

Nora was at Jaune's bedside in an instant, much like Ruby was at Weiss'. Nora, however, wasn't nearly as gentle as RWBY's leader seemed to be.

It started with a poke in the ribs, one that had Jaune wincing. "Ow, Nora, _what_ -"

"You have a lot of explaining to do _mister_!"

Jaune looked into Nora's eyes. It didn't seem like she'd been crying, but her eyes held just as much emotion as Pyrrha's had – only hers were filled with protective fury. Ren, hovering over Nora's shoulder, showed more emotion than Jaune thought he'd _ever_ seen in his fellow male. Suffering what could only be considered _two_ losses, Jaune turned to Pyrrha.

While it had seemed like she was on the verge of crying earlier, Pyrrha's eyes were now alight with something eerily familiar: it was as if Jaune was five years old again, and his mom had just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar, after just telling him moments ago that he wasn't allowed to have _any_. The blond gulped, glancing away.

Of course, when he glanced away, he just so happened to glance in the direction of the one who he'd nearly died beside. Her eyes met his once more, and Jaune nodded slightly – again, the pain making him wince.

"Well, I guess we should all talk about it _together_?"

* * *

"Alright." Yang called out, situated roughly in the middle of the infirmary room. "Since neither of you are really willing to _talk_... _We're_ going to start asking questions. Firstly... What the hell _,_ guys?"

"Umm..." Was all Jaune was able to generate as a response, glancing at Weiss out of the corner of his eye. Yatsuhashi – actually a _student_ , one year older, who Jaune _swore_ he knew from _somewhere_ – had helped the leader of JNPR out of the hospital bed and into a chair before leaving with his partner Velvet.

Weiss, on the other hand – while she insisted she needed no assistance – was simply helped out of her bed and into a similar chair by both Yang and Ruby. "You're going to have to be a little more specific." The heiress challenged.

"Okay, what the _hell_ were you two doing out in the Emerald Forest? _Alone_? Because, I mean, that's definetly not the smartest thing I've ever heard of."

Weiss answered before Jaune could even open his mouth. "We were out there training."

"Training? That's good to know now, considering you both nearly _died_. No, actually, if it wasn't for Team CFVY, you _would_ have died." Jaune had _never_ heard that tone of voice from Pyrrha. _Never_ , and he was certain Weiss hadn't either. "Did either of you consider, you know, maybe letting your team know you were doing something so dangerous? _Any_ of us?"

This time, it was Weiss turn to be at a loss for words. Jaune opened and closed his mouth, gaping like a fish.

"Well?" That was Ruby – and she didn't necessarily sound pleased _either_.

Jaune sighed, offering to bite the bullet simply by speaking. "We didn't think we needed to. We thought we would be _fine_. I've gotten so much better at fighting, and Weiss is, well, _Weiss_. We were actually on our way back when that three-headed King Taijitu showed up. There should have been no real issues... We weren't even in any _real_ danger until then."

"But why _not_ tell us, then?" The question was posed by Blake. "Why not tell us where you guys were going?"

At that, Yang stepped forwards, "Not just today, _either_. I wake up pretty early, and Weiss, you're gone almost every day." The blonde turned towards the other members of Jaune's team. "I'm assuming it's the same for you guys?"

Three heads nodded simultaneously.

' _Well_...' Jaune turned to Weiss. It looked as if she was... waiting for something... then Jaune clued in.

She... Weiss didn't know why he'd been keeping it a secret _either_. He'd kept her in the dark just as much as he hadn't mentioned anything to the others either. Maybe if he fessed up to that, their teams would cut her some slack?

"Weiss... doesn't know why. I told her I wanted to keep our training secret, and she agreed. She doesn't know why, and she still doesn't. But... considering the circumstances... I take it you aren't going to take 'no reason' as a good reason?"

Everyone shook their heads negative, staring at Jaune. Their eyes demanded the truth. But the truth...

Jaune wouldn't dare say anything about how his transcripts were forged. That was the one secret the mock-knight was willing to take to the grave. Maybe if it was just Weiss, or even Pyrrha - Jaune felt like he could tell them if he really had to. But Nora, Ren, and everyone else? ...Not a chance.

So, rather than telling them the 'why', Jaune decided to talk about the 'what'.

' _I'm not really lying to them... I'm just lying to myself instead._..'

"I needed to be stronger. So far I've lost every match in combat class. _Every match_! Seeing as I'm currently the only person at Beacon with such a terrible record, I'm assuming you guys don't know what that's like. So, well, I asked Weiss for help."

Nora raised a hand, as if asking a question in class.

"Yes Nora?"

The girl's hand dropped. "Why Weiss?"

"Well... Aside from Yang, who _kicked_ my _ass_ that day, Weiss was the only one of us who fought a match the day I came to that realization." That was the truth. Watching her practically _toy_ with Cardin's teammate stirred something in Jaune. And it wasn't the first time either. Jaune turned towards his teammates, "You guys weren't there, but when I saw Weiss fight the Boarbatusk in Port's class, I just... I guess I sort of idolized her. I wanted to fight _like_ her, and failing that, I wanted to be at least on her level. I don't need to be the best – I doubt I ever will be – but I want to be _somebody_."

"Okay..." Nora continued, "But why Weiss and not one of _us_?" Nora gestured to herself, Ren, and Pyrrha. "Why not one of your teammates?"

"I..." ' _This is embarassing_ '. "I'm your guys' _leader_. I shouldn't be the one asking for _your_ help. A leader should be strong, _reliable_." It should have been rather obvious to everyone that Jaune wasn't talking about himself.

The room was silent, as the occupants processed Jaune's words. The blond sighed, leaning back in the chair.

"Okay, now that's just stupid."

Jaune turned to Yang. "Huh?"

"Jaune, no offense, but we all know – _knew_ – _whatever_... we all _knew_ you were _weak as shit_."

" _Yang_..." Ruby groaned from next to her sister.

"P ** _ar_** don?"

…what a time to have a voice crack.

"Well, you said it yourself, didn't you? How you need to be stronger?" Yang spread her arms wide, as if motioning to all the rooms occupants at once. "You're _surrounded_ by people who can kick your ass – it's not just _me_. If you wanted to be a better fighter, I'm sure you just needed to ask. Every single one of us would have agreed to help you."

"She's right Jaune." Pyrrha spoke next. "Not to... _well_ , bring you down... but even in initiation you didn't seem like you were that good in a fight - sure, you did fine against that Deathstalker in the end, but... I'd have helped you train if you _asked_."

Jaune rubbed at his throat. He needed some water, but now was not the time. "See, that's just the thing though! I didn't want to be the one who had to rely on others to get better, and if I _had_ to I didn't want people to _know_. That's why I went to Weiss. That's why I kept it a secret: Regardless of whether you thought I was weak or not, I didn't _want_ to be _weak_. If I asked for help, _I'd be weak_. I couldn't possibly ask anyone other than Weiss."

 _That_ seemed to raise a few eyebrows. "Why's that?"

Of course, that had to have been asked by the one person Jaune didn't want to ask that. The blond turned towards the Schnee heiress, trying to formulate the words in his head.

"I... You were the one person I wasn't afraid of asking. You were the one person I wasn't afraid of being _rejected_ by. You would just think it was weird that I was asking you for help, and then _forget_ about it... but instead you _agreed_. And, well, the rest is history."

Weiss looked contemplative for a moment, before she nodded, though her face was still scrunched up in confusion.

Jaune, on the other hand, only took one thing away from that: ' _She understands_!'

"Okay, _so_ , just to make sure we've got this right..." Nora glanced back and forth between both Jaune and Weiss. "Jaune wanted to get stronger, so he asked Weiss for training... as opposed to _anyone_ else _,_ because Weiss wouldn't have judged him any harsher for it?"

"Well..." This time, it was Weiss responding. "It does _kind_ of make sense... when you put it like that. After all, Jaune wasn't exactly my... favorite person back then. Hate's a strong word for it... but I don't think I would have _disliked_ him any more."

' _Ouch_.'

"If that's the case, why _did_ you agree?" Yang questioned, standing with her hands on her hips. "To help Jaune, I mean. You _are_ the 'ice queen', after all."

Jaune turned towards the heiress – currently _scowling_ – interested in hearing _her_ response this time.

"The same reason any of you would have agreed: Despite the way he acted around me, in the end, he's still a student like I am – he's still one of us."

Jaune nodded along, acting as if Weiss' words were making sense – not that they _didn_ 't, but...

 _That_ wasn't the truth. Jaune knew – he had a _feeling_ – that when she had agreed to help him what felt like _ages_ ago... he knew _that_ wasn't the reason.

But he smiled and nodded along anyways, hoping that doing so made Weiss' excuse more plausible.

Of course, Jaune still didn't know _why_ Weiss had agreed to help him... but she'd tell him if he asked her, right?

...Right?

"Well, anyways, I hope you two learned your lesson!" Ruby shouted, trying to look serious and imposing – though in Jaune's eyes, she _failed_. "Any more training sessions, excursions, _anything_ like this, everyone should be notified! That goes for... _everyone_!"

A few seconds ticked by. "Fine by me." Jaune stated, seeing Weiss nod along. There were a variety of responses from the other members of RWBY and JNPR as well, but the general consensus was agreement.

"That being said, you guys train every morning?" Ren was the one who posed the question.

"Every _other_ morning." Jaune corrected, before wondering: "Why?"

Ren looked amongst the students standing, everyone's focus on the other male for once. "Well, I was wondering if you would mind if we join you, on occasion?"

Jaune shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"Great, what time do you guys start?"

"Well, I'm usually up at four o'clock, but we start training at five. If you-"

Ren seemed to visibly pale. "On second thought, I think I'll pass."

Everyone else seemed to share Ren's sentiment. Yang even visibly _shuddered_ , before asking, "How are you guys even _alive_?"

Jaune couldn't really think of a reasonable answer for that. That's... just sort of what he was used to.

But Weiss, on the other hand, had a beatific smile on her face. It almost seemed _taunting_.

" _Coffee_?"

Weiss' joke-answer actually got a giggle from Ruby – and even a chuckle from _Ren –_ at which, Yang seemed a little offended. "Oh you've got to be kidding me? Both of _you_? You found that funny?"

Jaune was just glad Yang didn't catch _his_ smile either.

Ruby continued giggling. "Well, CFVY _is_ the reason they're alive."

As the two sisters began to argue – though it was a one way argument in favor of _Ruby_ , for once – Jaune met Weiss' eyes. The boy smiled, though the heiress seemed to return it uncertainly.

"So, Tuesday's session _is_ canceled, right?"

* * *

Weiss let out the breath she'd been holding between clenched teeth – the many miniscule scratches she'd obtained in the Emerald Forest stinging as the hot water ran down her legs. The pain was a small price to pay, but the heiress considered it worth it as she watched the slightly dirty water run down the drain.

"Hey, Weiss... you almost done in there? It's been a while now, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Weiss called out, loudly enough that she was sure Yang could hear, but softly enough that she wasn't shouting. The heiress once again leaned under the showerhead, rinsing her hair in the steady stream. "Almost done." She added as an afterthought, realizing she hadn't answered Yang's original question.

"Well, hurry up."

The heiress scoffed. She figured that – while it was mostly _her_ fault – she'd be allowed a little extra time in the shower, considering she'd nearly _died_.

Sure, Weiss was certain her team had been keeping track of her Aura once they figured out she was actually in trouble, but she wasn't quite sure they knew how close it really was; after all, their only reliable source of what happened was in the numbers – all they had was her Aura in percentile, and her heartbeat.

If technology was at the point where they could measure the distance between a Huntress and a possibly fatal blow to the eighth of an inch, then she'd be in a _lot_ more trouble; likely, kept under lock and key by her team for the rest of eternity.

Weiss shook her head, smiling honestly at the thought. They weren't _that_ overprotective. Pressing hard down on the tap, the water ceased to fall from above. Weiss stood there for a moment, growing colder by the second as the water wicked the heat away from her body.

The heiress stepped out of the shower, quickly grabbing a towel to dry herself with. As she stood in front of the mirror, working as quickly as she could, she thought one thing:

Did Jaune know just how close they came to death?

The blond had been unconscious at the very end there – whether that was from his head trauma or just fatigue Weiss wasn't sure. But he hadn't seen the things she saw... he didn't _know_ how close it really was.

… Had he given up there, at the very end? Before he passed out?

A knock at the bathroom door made Weiss jump. "Are you _sure_ you're okay in there?"

Weiss whirled around, wrenching the door open. " _Excuse me_? I said I was fin-"

Rather than the teasing grin of Yang – which Weiss had been expecting – there was instead the concerned expression on the face of Ruby.

' _Oh_.'

Weiss brought a hand to her face, wanting to bury herself in it. "Sorry Ruby, still just a little worked up." The heiress put a smile on her face for her leader. "I'm _fine_."

Though Ruby did her best to smile in return, but there were still traces of worry. "If you're done in there, Jaune's outside. He said he wanted to talk to you."

"He's out of the infirmary?" That was a surprise, considering it had only been an hour or so since Weiss was given the green light. The youngest Schnee still figured it would have been an overnight stay in Beacon's medical facilities for her training partner.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, he's just in the hall. I told him you'd be a couple minutes, but he said he'd wait."

"Thanks Ruby." She glanced around the room, seeing nobody else. "You can let Yang know the shower is free."

The leader of RWBY adopted a thoughtful pose for a moment, before she shook her head smiling. "Nah. _My_ turn."

Weiss smiled as well – a much _truer_ smile than the one earlier. She stepped forward and to the side, giving Ruby a clear path. " _Go for it_."

Ruby practically skipped into the bathroom. As she did so, Weiss made her way over to her bed. With the room empty – where _did_ Yang go? And where was Blake? – Weiss dropped her towel, quickly getting dressed in her nightclothes. Satisfied that at least she wasn't going to be going out into the hall naked, Weiss moved to exit the room, making sure to grab her scroll along the way.

Of course, the sight that welcomed her wasn't _exactly_ what the heiress expected. Leaning against the wall next to his own dorm was Jaune, dressed in the same onesie from before initiation, with bandages still wrapped around his head. How he'd been able to stand there looking like that was beyond Weiss – the heiress was even mildly embarrassed wearing what _she_ was, never mind the atrocity that Jaune clothed himself in.

"Hey Weiss."

"Jaune." The heiress stopped just outside her dorm, letting the door close behind her. "Ruby said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah... you want to go for a quick walk?"

Weiss sighed, looking down at what she was wearing. Just her simple light blue nightie and a pair of slippers. She looked back up, meeting Jaune's eyes with a serious stare that _must_ have been what made him gulp. "A _quick_ walk."

Jaune rapidly nodded his agreement. "Yeah, we don't have to go far. Come on."

They didn't get very far from the rooms before Jaune started talking. "So... Weiss..."

The heiress waited for Jaune to continue. When the boy didn't, Weiss had to do a little prodding. " _Yes_...?"

"Oh, uh, _sorry_. I just was thinking it's a little odd, y' know. _Old_ me would have killed for the chance to talk with you like this..."

' _He's... nervous._ '

"Well, you probably killed a hundred or so Beowolves in the forest, so technically you _did_." Weiss commented, hoping to get Jaune to relax a little. A light smile was all she got in return. "You saved me more than once out there too..."

Jaune shook his head. "Only because you've been helping me get stronger. Otherwise, we'd both be stains out there on the forest floor."

The heiress already had a counterpoint for that. "Well, if _I_ hadn't made the suggestion to go out there, we wouldn't have even been out there. You wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Again, only because _you've_ been helping me." Jaune stopped, prompting Weiss to do the same. The boy turned, and Weiss saw the steel in his eyes. "That's what I've been wanting to talk to you about. You see, everything we've done together, all that training... it's always been for _my_ gain. I realized that earlier today, when I was alone in the infirmary."

Weiss tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I was thinking: you said you were helping me because it was the right thing to do. Whether or not that's the truth-" ' _How did he_...?' "-I know that you've been putting a lot of effort into helping me. But... I feel like I've given you nothing in return."

Weiss frowned. ' _He's right_. _All this time, I've had nothing to gain... Originally, I agreed to helping him out as a way to avoid going into Vale with Yang, but... why have I kept helping him_?'

"So, that's why..." Jaune continued, "If there's anything I can do for you, tell me. _Anything_. You're my friend, Weiss, and friends are supposed to pay back their debts, no questions asked. An Arc never goes back on his word."

Weiss smiled, despite the thought – the one _question_ – that crossed her mind.

"There is... one thing you can do for me."

Jaune seemed relieved; actually, it was more like he was excited. In a way, it made Weiss' chest hurt. "Like I said, _anything_. What do you need?"

The heiress sighed, looking down at Jaune's feet. Internally, she debated whether it was a good time or not... but in the end, sooner was better than later, wasn't it? Weiss looked up, meeting Jaune's jovial eyes.

"Jaune... I want to know what you _didn't_ tell the others back in the infirmary."

Weiss felt like she could pinpoint the _exact_ moment Jaune's heart stopped. ' _I knew it... somehow, I knew it_.'

" _Sorry_?"

Letting out a lengthy sigh, Weiss looked both ways down the hall, sure no one was listening in or about to stumble on to their conversation. Given the lateness of the hour, she was certain everyone was in their dorms, but it didn't hurt to make sure. "I know you said all that stuff about needing to be stronger and what not – now I'm not saying that was a lie but... there's something else, isn't there? There's another reason you wanted my help. There's a reason..." The heiress took a deep breath, as if speaking the next words would be _painful_. "There's a reason you were so _weak_ , isn't there?"

Jaune averted his eyes. For a moment, the boy seemed like he might bolt, but Weiss also knew that wouldn't be the case: either he wouldn't tell her, or he would tell her. If their roles were swapped, then those would be the two options she'd have given herself as well.

"I... just... give me a second." Jaune tilted his head skyward, taking in a deep breath, and then letting it out slowly. He looked back down, meeting her eyes with that same steely, determinate gaze as before.

"Weiss, I cheated Bea-"

"Woah, hey guys!" Weiss had been so focused, so _interested_ in what Jaune's response would have been, she had no clue there was _anyone_ near.

Jaune turned white as a sheet, almost falling over in surprise. Weiss, who was a _lot_ more composed, simply turned towards Yang, trying to keep the absolute _murder_ out of her eyes. "Hey Yang... I was _wondering_ where you were."

The blonde in question reached into a bowl she was holding. She retrieved a couple kernels worth of popcorn, shoving it in her mouth with all the dignity Weiss expected of her. "Just getting popcorn for _movie_ _night_! Hey, Jaune, why don't you see if your team wants to join us?"

The boy, leaning against the wall, seemed to regain at least a little bit of his color. "You know what? Why not, it'll probably be good to cut loose a little. What're you guys going to watch?"

" _Fireman_ , starring Spruce Willis. It's an action-western, just released to the CCTnet this Tuesday. You in?"

For a moment, Weiss noticed, it was as if Jaune had just seen a ghost. Then, the boy smiled a little uneasily, before nodding. " _Sure_. I bet Nora will love it."

"Alright then, let's go." Yang walked right between the two teens, who were standing there awkwardly still dressed in their nightclothes. The two continued remain in place, watching as Yang got closer and closer to their dorms, unaware that neither Jaune nor Weiss were following her.

Weiss turned to Jaune. "So, you were saying?"

"I'll tell you later, Weiss. I swear it." Jaune promised, coughing. "Besides, I think I set a new record for 'times I've nearly died' today."

Weiss shook her head. "That can only mean one thing, Jaune."

The boy in question quirked an eyebrow. "What's that?"

" _We_ haven't been training hard enough."

* * *

 **That first scene man, how many of you did I fool with that? They say the true test for a writer is seeing how poorly they can write and have people see it for what it really is: poor writing.**

 **(Actually, no one says that, I just made that up on the spot.)**

 **So yeah, cat almost came out of the bag. (No faunus puns here, man. That's racist. Blake's not _even involved_.) Does this mean Jaune will never tell Weiss his secret? Hell _no_ , an Arc never goes back on their word.**

 **Let me know about any mistakes you may catch in a PM or review. If you guys have any other feedback regarding the story in general, then you can do the same!**

 **See you later!**


	11. Learning

**Hey all, back again with another chapter!**

 **This one's got a little more build up to some future events rather than any real action, but I guess you guys will see for yourselves, hey?**

* * *

Pyrrha stood rigidly, breathing heavily with one foot planted firmly on the arena floor, the other planted firmly between her opponent's bust. With Miló in it's rifle form, the girl sighted down the barrel... though she didn't need to. At their current distance, Pyrrha couldn't possibly miss.

Not that the champion would have ever pulled the trigger. Just as Pyrrha couldn't miss with the end of the barrel inches from the lilac eyed girl's forehead, there was no way she could be sure Yang's Aura would have protected from such a fatal shot. Especially after such a hard fought, drawn out fight – Pyrrha wasn't even able to keep track of her _own_ Aura.

The blonde underfoot eyed the business end of Miló warily. After a second's hesitation, Yang raised her hands over her head, resting them on the ground, palms exposed. "I give."

Pyrrha moved Miló almost instantaneously. No matter what, it would always feel wrong for the redhead to hold another at gunpoint; even in previous tournament matches with... less than _honorable_ opponents, doing so had made her uncomfortable.

Of course, none of those matches were nearly as close as the one she'd just fought.

"Well done, both of you." Goodwitch complimented, a rare smile on her face as the previously dim arena began to light up. "I must say, a rematch of that fight during the Vytal Festival Tournament will surely be a crowd favorite. Miss Xiao Long..." The professor turned towards the brawler, who Pyrrha had just finished helping up. "While your style revolves around getting close to your opponent, you need to know when it's a good time to back off and engage at range."

"Got it."

"Miss Nikos. Excellent job as always."

Pyrrha smiled, though it was a little strained. "Thank you, Professor Goodwitch."

The 'Invincible Girl' turned, walking astride Yang. "I'll get you next time, Pyrrha."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Pyrrha actually _was_ , too; Out of all of Beacon's first years – anyone she'd fought, anyone she'd seen fight – Yang was the only one who actually seemed to have a fair chance at winning against her.

And in a way, Pyrrha longed for that.

She didn't want to lose, _oh no_. Pyrrha loved winning, she always had: she loved having the announcer cry her name – she loved hearing the crowd chant as she was crowned victorious.

But, at Beacon, there was no crowd cheering – just the chatter of the students watching and their dull applause when she won. There was no announcer, hyped up, roaring into the microphone – just Miss Goodwitch, telling her she did an 'excellent job'. _As always_.

Beacon was a school – Pyrrha was there to learn. She wanted _someone_ to find flaw with how she fought... she wanted Goodwitch to see something she had been doing wrong and give her advice. _Anything_. She didn't want to lose... but she wanted to be defeated.

There was an old saying her mother had always been fond of: " _Only through loss can one improve_. _Mistakes are lessons to be learned from_... _That's why we never forget them_."

Pyrrha didn't make mistakes; she hadn't made any for a long time.

But Pyrrha still wanted to improve

"Nice fight, Yang. You too, Pyrrha."

The redhead looked up at the words that were more a courtesy than anything. With a smile, Pyrrha acknowledged the speaker. "Thanks Weiss." Sitting in her previously vacant seat, Pyrrha received a nod from Jaune, the boy not looking up from his scroll, and a congratulatory pat on the shoulder from Nora.

"Despite that lengthy fight, we do have time for two more matches." Goodwitch called out, scanning the crowd before looking down at her scroll, likely checking to see who hadn't fought in a while. "Could Jau- _Blake Belladonna_ and Cardin Winchester come to the floor please?"

The bookworm of team RWBY hopped to her feet. "Wish me luck..."

"Nah, you're not going to need it." Yang quipped back, smiling while taking her seat next to Ruby.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pyrrha could see Jaune look up from his scroll for but a second, before returning his attention to it, frowning. It wasn't like Miss Goodwitch to make a slip up like she had, but then again, having a student incapacitated for so long was probably rather unusual.

It wasn't as if Jaune was actually still injured. In the past three days, Jaune had long since recovered from his and Weiss' trek into the Emerald Forest. The faint pink line at the edge of his hairline still remained, but otherwise he was in perfect health.

Well... _almost_ perfect: Despite the three days of recovery time - with Pyrrha absolutely sure Jaune was doing _no_ physical activity any more strenuous than walking – his Aura still hadn't fully recovered. The championship fighter wasn't sure if that because his Aura had been constantly at work healing his wounds, or if the sheer amount of Aura he'd had naturally had an effect on how long it took to recover. Or maybe it was because he was drained all the way down to _zero_ percent.

She shook her head; now wasn't the time to be worried about her partner. He was safe now.

Pyrrha turned her eyes back to the floor, seeing Blake and Cardin preparing to fight. Well, if she couldn't make mistakes on her own, she'd just have to learn from the mistakes of others.

The four-time Mistral regional champion smiled to herself. ' _I'm not cocky..._ '

"Ha, this should be over quick."

'... _At least, not like Cardin is_.'

It wasn't like the mace wielder had no reason to be cocky – he'd won just as many matches as any other member of either RWBY or JNPR, with the exception of Jaune. The only reason for that, though, was that Cardin was consistently put up against many people who were weak against his particular style – _including_ Jaune.

In fact, that seemed to be a recurring theme in the first year's combat class: Cardin's matches were technically never lopsided, but more often than not, it was easy to tell the leader of CRDL was going to win. Pyrrha had elected to stay behind one day to ask Goodwitch why she always set the boy's matches up that way.

But what Pyrrha hadn't expected was an _answer._ She'd expected to be turned away.

" _Someone like Cardin is doing more good by winning against those I match him up with. I try to arrange matches so both the winner and the loser has something to gain from every match, but that is not always the case. You no doubt know that yourself, correct Miss Nikos_?"

The words had confused Pyrrha at first. In fact, they still did; someone like Cardin clearly still had a lot to learn about fighting.

But then, Pyrrha's eyes roamed over to Cardin's opponent, Blake. She seemed unfazed by the large male's comment, simply readying her weapon.

For the first time, Pyrrha was unsure who would win.

Perhaps Cardin would _learn_ something today.

Idly, Pyrrha's eyes strayed from the arena floor, back to her partner – _still_ on his scroll. Jaune was a prime example of learning from his mistakes and mishaps, learning from his losses. He took quite the beating from Yang that one class – then miraculously, her leader managed to _bruise_ her in a spar a few days later, though Pyrrha only saw the result, and not the cause.

It had been a long time since he'd fought Cardin. She had to wonder if Jaune would have been capable of teaching Cardin a lesson too, had he been able.

All thanks to _Weiss.._.

Pyrrha was, of course, thankful for the girl's intervention – or rather, for her agreeing to train Jaune when he asked. Of course, there was still a light pang in her chest at the thought: Jaune didn't _trust_ her to help him out. She was still a little disappointed that her partner hadn't come to _her_ first instead... after he'd explained why that one afternoon, Pyrrha tried to understand.

But she just _couldn't_.

...Had she failed as a partner?

"Begin!"

Rather than turning to watch the fight start, Pyrrha kept her eyes on Jaune – the boy not even showing the _slightest_ interest what was going on around him.

The redhead frowned. She figured that Jaune would actually be paying attention to the fight, considering he'd nearly been called down himself. She had to admit, it was a little odd that the blond was so busy on his scroll. Typically, even when it was people they barely knew, Jaune would always be paying attention to the fights in combat class, watching studiously.

Then, Pyrrha saw Weiss lean towards Jaune. Blake had been sitting between the two originally, so with her seat empty, the heiress could see clearly what Jaune had been up to. Weiss had a frown that mirrored Pyrrha's own. Clearly, she'd been thinking along the same lines.

But rather than reprimanding Jaune, as Pyrrha had been expecting, Weiss' expression went from disappointed, to _intrigued –_ the white haired girl quickly moved to occupy Blake's empty seat, looking at Jaune's scroll with as much interest as the blond had been.

Finding Weiss' actions rather peculiar, Pyrrha herself leaned back, trying to see Jaune's scroll over his shoulder. It didn't help that her partner had tilted it further away from her so that Weiss could see it better.

They were... watching a video? Pyrrha leaned a little closer, seeing a boy swing a mace _through_ a girl who seemed to vanish into thin air.

To her shame, it took Pyrrha a moment to realize that the boy with the mace was Cardin, and the girl was Blake.

' _Wait a minute..._ ' Blake and Cardin moved off the screen, and Jaune tilted his scroll again, the duo suddenly reappearing.

He was... recording their fight?

Pyrrha brought a hand to her face, hiding her eyes in embarrassment. ' _Of course he's recording their fight... how stupid of me_. _I even thought he was tilting his scroll towards Weiss_.'

There was a loud clang, followed by the sound of a weapon clattering on the floor. "I yield!"

The champion looked up as quick as she could. All she saw was Blake sheathing her blade, and Cardin's mace on the floor. That was _quick_. She let out a breath, whispering to herself. " _Ah, I missed it_."

Apparently, she hadn't kept quiet enough: "You did?" Jaune asked, incredulous. "Here, I've got it recorded if you want to take a look. I got your fight against Yang too – the whole thing. _All_ of the fights today, actually."

...Pyrrha hadn't even noticed him doing it before her fight.

Pyrrha smiled as honestly as she could. "Sure."

She couldn't have asked for a better partner.

It was _herself_ that was going to have to do better.

* * *

Weiss bit back a yawn, pushing her way into the teacher's lounge. Again, the room was unoccupied, being so early in the morning. The door swung closed behind her – _heavier_ for some reason. Stretching her arms high above her head, Weiss made her way over to the coffee machine, intent on getting to work. She smiled, however, noticing that not only had the coffee already been made, but there were two cups ready for her convenience.

Well, probably not for _her_ convenience, strictly speaking. It was the _teacher's_ lounge, after all. Regardless, the heiress poured the coffee, doctoring it up just the way she liked it.

Satisfied with a job well done, the heiress picked up the coffee, moving towards the exit. As she got closer to the door, Weiss realized she had her hands full. She looked around, for a table or something that might be nearby.

"Here, allow me to get that for you."

The heiress took a short step back, allowing the headmaster to reach for the door handle. "Thank you very much, Professor Ozpin."

"Anytime, Miss Schnee."

With her path clear, the heiress stepped through the doorway. The door clicked closed behind her, but she paid it no mind, intent on making her way to the training room as quickly as possible.

The heiress stopped in the middle of the building's lobby. Turning, she looking back towards the teacher's lounge. Her blue eyes blinked. Not once, but _twice_. With the sun not even showing any actual signs of rising, Beacon's halls were dimly lit. In fact, it was a little eerie. Weiss shivered, a sudden, stiff breeze hitting her legs.

' _Alright. Time to go then_.'

It didn't take long for Weiss to reach the training room her and Jaune had claimed as 'theirs'. Not only could Weiss probably make it there blindfolded, but in an effort to even further refine her control over her semblance, she used her glyphs to move even faster.

With a faint shimmer at her feet, Weiss stopped in front of the sliding doors, jarred slightly open with the light within pouring out.

...and the heiress faced the same conundrum she had earlier – she had nowhere to put the two cups of coffee, aside from the floor, and the door wasn't _quite_ open enough for her to manage it with them in hand.

"Here, allow me to get that for you."

The heiress took a short step back, allowing the headmaster to pull the sliding door aside. "Thank you, Professor Ozpin."

"Anytime, Miss Schnee."

Weiss took a step forwards, about to pass forward into the light, when she froze. She turned towards the tall headmaster, standing there with a cup of coffee of his own in his hands, half shrouded in darkness.

' _Wait a minute.._.'

"I've got a lot of paperwork to get through, Miss Schnee, did you need something?" The man stared at her through his glasses, though his eyes were impassive. He certainly didn't seem like he was in a hurry. In fact, it was almost as if he _wanted_ her to ask him something.

"I... uhh..." The heiress looked past the headmaster, back the way she came. "Were you just in the teacher's lounge?"

"Indeed I was." The man took a sip of his own cup. "There's not much to do this early in the morning... Aside from _paperwork_ , that is. Of course, as headmaster, I am also responsible for Beacon's students. As very few students are typically awake at this hour, I endeavor to get as much paperwork done as possible. But all the same, at these same hours, if a student needs help, I am capable of being there at a moment's notice. After all, while it is my job to look after Beacon in it's entirety, Beacon would not exist if it were not for it's students."

The enigmatic headmaster tilted his mug back once more. "Is that all, Miss Schnee?"

"...I think so, ye-"

" _Good_! I will take my leave then. Enjoy your morning training with Mr. Arc."

Without waiting for a response, Ozpin turned, walking steadily, his cane clacking along side him all the while. Weiss felt like it took forever, but she finally saw the headmaster dip around the corner, his cane letting out one final 'clack'.

Something... _itched_ at Weiss. She wanted so badly to go and see if the headmaster had actually stopped around the corner, or if he was just... gone. Seconds ticked by.

With a shrug – still managing to not spill the coffee – Weiss ducked into the training room.

Jaune was laying on one of the many benches, scroll held up above him. For a second, Weiss wondered how long he'd been like that. As she got closer, Weiss saw signs that he'd been working physically – his water bottle wasn't full, his skin was flushed, and his clothes looked like they were slightly damp.

"Watching the fights again?" The heiress called out, getting Jaune to glance away from his scroll.

"Yeah." The blond pushed himself up, moving over so that Weiss could sit as well, though there was lots of room on the bench. "How does Pyrrha do that one thing with her legs?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You mean where she tripped Yang? You're nowhere near fast enough to pull that off, and it would only work on a fist fighter who relies on getting up close like Yang."

The knight slid his scroll shut. "I know I can't do it. I'm just more curious as to how."

"I can show you later, if you really want." Weiss offered. She might not have been an expert in the wild yet technical style Pyrrha seemed to emulate, but she knew a couple things; enough to give just a few pointers, anyways. She held up a cup for Jaune to take. "But first, coffee."

Jaune looked surprised. "You brought me one?"

"I did."

The blond accepted, looking into the liquid as if it were gold. "Thanks, Weiss."

It was as Jaune raised the cup to his lips, that Weiss noticed something: a faint pink outline around the rim.

That had been _her_ cup.

And for some reason, that made her... _nervous_?

' _Please don't notice, please don't notice_...'

Jaune's eyes seemed to widen as he took a sip. He pulled the mug away from his lips. "Hey, this is perfect! How'd you know how I like my coffee?"

"I..." Weiss couldn't just tell him that he'd drank from her cup. She took a sip from the remaining cup, before remembering that she'd made both coffees the exact same – how _she_ herself liked it.

The boy sitting beside her stared at her simply, a grateful smile upon his face. Did Jaune think that she knew... that she remembered how he made his coffee at the café that day?

"It was an accident, actually." Weiss mentioned honestly. Jaune's lips seemed to twitch. ' _I messed up..._ '

' _Wait, why do I care what he thinks_?' "I made both cups the same." Weiss tacked on at the end.

For some reason, Jaune's smile seemed to grow at that. "Two sugars, no cream?"

Surprised, Weiss nodded.

Jaune spread his arms out wide, chuckling, coffee almost spilling out of what was now _his_ cup. "That's how I take my coffee!" Bringing the mug to his lips once more, he took a longer sip. Breathing out a equally long sigh, Jaune turned his head skyward. "It's good stuff."

Weiss nodded, crossing her legs as she took another sip.

For a couple moments, the two slowly worked at their coffee, Weiss savoring not only the brew, but her friend's silent company.

Her... _friend._ They'd established themselves as such earlier, on the very bench they sat on now. Back then, it had been 'official': they'd _declared_ it, but it never really _felt_ like it.

Now Weiss knew, though, after all they'd been through together, sweat, blood, and _tears_ ; Jaune was her friend.

They both remained silent for minutes longer, the clock burning seconds away.

"So when did you figure out you liked coffee?" Jaune quizzed, looking down at the nearly empty mug in his hands.

"Hmm... I think I was six when I first had coffee."

" _Six_?"

"Yes, _six_." Weiss confirmed. Was that so odd? "And I _hated_ it. My father had left a mug on the table when he was working, and, well, back then..."

' _Back then_ _I wanted to be like him_...'

"You got curious?" Jaune supplied, unknowingly providing an alibi.

"Yeah. My father drank his coffee black though, so when I tried another cup later, I sweetened it and I found it delicious. Yourself?"

"I... I didn't have coffee until about a year ago. One day, just decided I'd make a cup. My father always put a lot of sugar into his, so I did the same."

It sounded like the complete opposite of what happened with Weiss. "And...?"

"I put _a lot_ of sugar. Most of it didn't even dissolve, even when I stirred it. The coffee ended up more like a syrup than anything. I was jittery for _hours;_ I definitely learned my lesson."

Weiss let out a light chuckle. "I guess we both found our happy medium then?"

The knight tilted his cup back fully, draining the rest of its contents. Letting out the deep breath he'd been holding, he stood, stretching. "Yeah, seems like it." Jaune's back popped, and the blond let out a sigh. "You remember what Goodwitch said about Forever Fall?"

Weiss looked to the clock – Jaune likely wanted to get to work... they'd spent a little too long relaxing. "Yeah, of course I do. Our teams agreed to stick together on the trip, right?"

Jaune hummed an affirmative. "Me and Ruby thought it would be for the best. The trip's still two weeks away, but I want to be sure we don't have a repeat of our latest venture out into a Grimm infested forest. Sounds good to you?"

Weiss nodded in agreement, finishing her own cup."Yeah, of course. But before we get to our regular training, I need your help with something _else_ first."

Her friend turned, an eyebrow quirked.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

* * *

Weiss had proven Jaune wrong; he was really enjoying helping her with _her_ training.

It wasn't like Jaune wanted Weiss to be frustrated; far from it. ...It was just a refreshing change to not be the target of her ire, or have her constantly wearing him down.

"That's still not right!" The girl complained, the glow beneath Jaune's feet disappearing. The girl raised her rapier, a glyph appearing again before Jaune. " _Step_."

Jaune stepped forward, following Weiss' command.

" _Step_."

Jaune stepped again, suddenly a yard or two further from where he was before, though he hadn't _really_ moved that distance.

The blond watched as Weiss repeated the same motions; creating the glyph, stepping into it, and then stepping in the same direction Jaune had.

Only, she barely moved an inch.

She would have moved _more_ by walking normally.

"Okay, this is just _stupid_!"

Jaune didn't quite understand semblances at all – considering he didn't have one himself, and _everyone's_ seemed to be different, he wasn't sure exactly what kind of help he could be.

"You're not doing anything different when you make the glyph for yourself?" Jaune asked as politely as he could. With Weiss as irate as she was, he needed to be cautious.

Weiss sighed. " _No_. I'm putting way less into making the glyphs than normal. I suppose the odd thing is actually how you're moving _so_ _much_ when I'm only using enough Aura to move myself centimeters."

Jaune brought a hand to his chin. "Is that why I was colliding with the walls constantly when we were late for Port's class that one time?"

The heiress nodded, her hair bobbing along with the action. "That's the first time this happened, yes. I was using enough Aura for myself to make the 'jumps' normally, but you were sent _flying_. I realize the relationship now, but I just don't understand why it's happening."

' _It is quite a pickle_... _It's a shame I'm not of any help_...'

Then it hit him. "Wait a minute..." Weiss looked up, meeting his eyes. "Isn't it _just_ me?"

The heiress tilted her head. "Sorry?"

"During initiation, didn't Ruby interact with your glyphs just fine?" Jaune remembered the red-cloaked girl _running_ up the side of a damn cliff, Weiss' glyphs barely visible against the rock face. Weiss looked to think about that for a moment, before nodding an affirmative. "So could it possibly be how your semblance is reacting poorly with my Aura or something?"

Weiss looked contemplative. "I wouldn't say poorly, but... It _might_ be... Jaune, what's _your_ semblance?"

"Don't know it yet." Jaune answered quickly.

"I see... wait, _what_?"

Jaune could only shrug. "Don't know it yet." He re-stated. Was that so weird?

Pale blue eyes continued to stare into his. "You're serious? No signs of... anything strange happening when you use Aura?"

The blond shook his head, gesturing towards the floor in general. "Nothing aside from this 'glyph' issue you're having problems wit-"

Jaune had Crocea Mors drawn within the second it took Weiss to cross the distance between them, deftly redirecting her strike.

"The _hell_ Weiss?" He took the time his parry bought to get his shield at the ready, but by the time he could bring it up, Weiss was already hammering away at it, Jaune moving it in the way of her strikes.

Finally the girl backed off, settling into her ready stance. "Nevermind _anything_ else; you're finding your semblance before this trip."

Jaune gulped.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Weiss smiled, but not in the friendly, happy smile.

This one promised pain.

" _No_."

* * *

The man blew out a column of smoke, striding forwards across the empty floor of the warehouse. A few scattered crates here and there, some boxes lined up against the far wall... It wasn't much, but Roman was, at the least, making progress.

Though it wasn't enough; at their current rate, it _wouldn't_ be enough.

The self-proclaimed master thief looked around. The men he hired from Hei - the ones who were still _with_ him - were all out pulling off their own robberies, so the warehouse was certainly not very lively. Did Roman trust Hei's men to get the job done? _No_ , not necessarily. But at this point, the thugs were disposable. Anything they managed to claim on his behalf would be considered a bonus.

In the end. if they could be taken down by a girl in her teens, how effective were they? All in all, Roman didn't expect all that much more out of them.

He needed someone _else_.

Roman pulled his gloves further up his hands, grabbing a crowbar off a table as he passed it. "Let's see here..." he casually stated, no one around to hear.

Approaching one of the bigger crates, he jammed the tool under the lid, popping it open with just a little bit of effort. The thief flicked the grey ash of cigar away, putting it out with his thumb with the intent on saving the rest for later.

After all, only a fool would handle Dust with a source of open flame nearby.

Roman pushed the lid off the crate, perusing it's contents. This one in particular seemed to have been a good haul. The thief reached in, pulling out a light blue crystal of Dust. He tilted it, tapped it, even _sniffed_ it. It was high quality, probably some of the more expensive stuff that particular store had in stock.

But it wasn't quality he was after; it was quantity.

With a sigh, Roman put the crystal back inside the container. There were pouches of ground, powdery Dust, tubes of liquidized Dust, and full crystals like the one he just inspected. Roman slid the lid back on the crate, proceeding to sit on it as he fished through his pockets.

Relighting his cigar, the thief opened his scroll. He called the number he'd recently grown most accustomed to calling when he was in a tight spot, or if he needed anything.

Of course, that didn't mean he'd ever _wanted_ to. But when his new boss had plans, she'd wanted them to succeed. If that meant she had to come personally, she _would_.

" _Roman,_ what do you need _now?"_

The man laughed into the scroll's receiver, trying to hide his discomfort. Though the thief had a feeling that had been seen through instantly.

"I need more men."

* * *

 **" _Kansetsu kisu..._ "**

 **Uh oh, it seems like Weiss is determined to get Jaune his semblance. But will all her efforts be in vain, or will it all pay off? And what is Roman up to?**

 **This chapter is meant to be a little more lighthearted, considering the hell I put everyone through the past two (three?) chapters. Regardless, I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as usual. Please, let me know what you think.**

 **(... What do you mean using Ozpin as comic relief is unoriginal? And what do you mean I'm using Ozpin as _comic relief_?)**

 **Later, nerds.**


	12. Fatigue

**Hello everyone! Sorry about the massive delay on this one; it's been more than a month since my last update, and I feel terrible for that. Just in case, I made sure to put a little extra effort into this one.**

 **Hope you like it!**

* * *

Jaune stepped back, the tip of Crocea Mors traveling in small circles, ready to intercept Weiss' lunge. The boy panted heavy breaths, despite the 'simplicity' of the exercise.

All Jaune had to do was walk backwards, and deflect any incoming attacks while on the retreat.

… With one arm tied around his back.

"Come on, Vomit Boy! You can do it!"

… and Yang riding on his shoulders. _Literally_.

 _Simple_ , right?

"H-how…" Jaune breathed. "How is this going to help me get my semblance again?"

" _Control. Power. Balance._ " Weiss stressed.

Oh, that too…

"Control. Power. Balance." Jaune repeated, swinging Crocea Mors low to deflect Weiss' lunge.

In Jaune's opinion – with his first-hand experience – what Weiss was putting him through right now was _worse_ than lockdown.

"And _time_!" Yang called from above. "I swear Jaune, if you drop me…"

The blond didn't even have the energy to argue, instead collapsing to one knee. Chances are the joint would bruise from the impact, even with Aura - or rather, with what he had left since the training started.

With Yang on his shoulders, that would have been nearly four-hundred pounds collapsing into one point.

"Thanks for…" Jaune sucked in a deep breath. "Thanks for your help Yang."

"Anytime. Say, would you be willing to lend me that recording of my fight with Pyrrha one more time?"

Jaune looked up at the blonde girl as she 'dismounted', nodding. "My scroll's in my bag if you feel like watching it right now. I'll just send it to you later too if you want."

"Oh, you're such a _sweetheart_." Yang 'complimented', patting Jaune on the head. "How lucky you are, Weiss."

The heiress scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jaune didn't hear Yang's response, as he got a face full of floor a moment after Weiss spoke. He'd even tried to put his free arm out to break his fall, but he was just too damn tired to even manage that.

" _Ow_."

"Come on Jaune, get up." Weiss egged on, untying his other arm. "We need to get dressed and ready for Goodwitch's class in about… half an hour.

"Just five more minutes…" Jaune mumbled into the polished wood floor, watching a bead of sweat roll down his nose.

"Oh?" Weiss sounded surprised. "Did you hear that Yang? Jaune wants to go five more minutes."

Jaune was standing in less than two seconds, his fatigue forgotten, replaced with _fear_. "Wait, that's not what I… meant…"

A quick look around the room informed Jaune that Yang wasn't even _there_ anymore - at least, not mentally; Weiss' teammate was sprawled across one of the benches, already flitting through Jaune's menus.

Weiss' chuckled, and Jaune even smiled lightly himself, despite the shape he was in. " _Ha_ …" the blonde hunched over. " _Seriously_?"

The heiress smiled back. "Come on. Class is in half an hour... but that doesn't mean we can't sit for a minute or two."

At Weiss' prodding, Jaune stumbled over to the benches, wiping the sweat from his brow. The moment he sat, Weiss pressed a bottle of water in his hands. Hydration had already important enough with regards to his exercises, but with the summer heat and the increased workload Weiss was putting on him, the blond had been consuming nearly twice the amount of water he had been before.

The self-proclaimed knight vividly remembered _exactly_ what would happen if he drank too quickly, so he took small sips, keeping his eyes on Weiss. The summer heat had gotten to her too – but she managed it differently. Instead of wearing her combat skirt to most training sessions, she wore her own set of workout clothes instead: a pair of tight-fitting shorts she borrowed from Yang, and a white and blue racerback top that exposed a lot more skin than her usual outfit.

Today was different though – with combat class later, they'd all decided to train in their gear.

She always wore her heels though. Though he would never admit it to anyone, Jaune had tried walking in a pair of his mother's before, on a bet his sisters made.

How the _hell_ did Weiss fight in heels?

"Usually, someone with Aura finds their semblance on their own." Weiss spoke. It took Jaune a few seconds to realize that she was answering his question from earlier. "For some people it takes years... others, _days_. It has nothing to do with how much you want it, or how much you work. You just... _find it_."

Taking one last swig, Jaune put the bottle down beside him. "What if you don't find it, then?"

"Then you have to search for it." Weiss turned to meet his eyes. "And _yes_ , there's a difference. Finding your semblance is random. Searching for it, however, requires control, power, and balance. At least, that's how we Schnee's have done it. Some rely on 'soul-searching'. Others are put through vigorous trials, until they're in a position where their semblance 'calls' to them."

Jaune pursed his lips. "And why am I not trying either of those?"

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think you have the mental fortitude to do soul-searching any time soon." The look on Weiss face was indeed apologetic. "And if your semblance didn't call to you in the Emerald Forest – when we nearly _died_ – I don't think there's a more 'vigorous' trial.

"So we're doing this my way – the Schnee way." Weiss looked up to the clock. "We should go... I'm pretty sure you don't feel like running, so the sooner the better."

Jaune stood up, hoping that his action alone was enough to indicate his agreement. The boy grabbed his bag, waiting as Weiss packed up. The heiress then walked over to Yang, shaking the girl to get her attention. She must have really been focused on the recording, the way the girl frowned as she passed him back his scroll..

The three left the training room, side by side.

"So, if I'm not... ' _finding_ ' my semblance, then how do I know I have it when I'm searching?" Jaune asked.

"You'll feel it." Weiss stated. "That's how it was for me. It's... hard to explain. My glyph semblance is hereditary: My sister has it, I have it... But when I first made a glyph, I didn't even really _notice_ it."

That surprised Jaune; how could Weiss make a glyph without knowing? "Don't you, like, make you're glyphs consciously?"

" _I_ can do it because I've been trained to control my semblance – everyone who has a semblance here at Beacon likely had to learn how to control it to some degree. You don't see Ruby zipping down every hallway, do you?"

Yang chuckled, Weiss' words likely bringing up fond memories. "It took her a few days, let me tell you."

"I guess that makes sense." Was it possible that he had his semblance already, and was just having trouble controlling it?

Nah...

"That said, my semblance can also activate subconciously, though that'll rarely happen; Instinct has to win-out over reason, and that doesn't happen very often with me."

"I see... Wait, hold on..."

The heiress stared at Jaune questioningly. "What is it?"

"This is kind of a random thought... but earlier, you said the way you were training me is the Schnee way of doing things?"

"I did."

Then... "When you did your training, did you have someone riding on your shoulders too?"

Weiss smiled beatifically, shaking her head. "Of course not. Do I look like I trained by carrying someone on my shoulders?" The heiress flexed her bicep for show, prodding the lithe muscle. "We've got different builds... different styles. If I had even half the musculature you do, I wouldn't be able to fight the way I do."

"So I had Yang balanced on my shoulders because...?"

"Because – and trust me, this is hard to admit-" Weiss sighed. "You're getting harder and _harder_ to push forward."

That surprised Jaune. "Really?"

"I wasn't exactly coming at you at full power today... but I still didn't land a single strike. You managed to fend me off with one hand tied behind your back, Yang's weight balanced across your shoulders, _and_ while walking backwards." Weiss explained. "It's been barely a month since we started training together."

Jaune brought a hand to his chin, scratching at the thin whiskers he hadn't shaved yet. "I suppose that's true-"

Weiss had stepped in front of Jaune, forcing the blond to stop. " _Yes_ , it's true. And it's also, frankly speaking, incredible."

"Uh... thanks?" Jaune wasn't used to such high praise – especially coming from Weiss.

"But..." ' _There's always a but_...' "I also just wanted to see how much you'd agree to."

The Arc nodded mindlessly, before realizing what Weiss had just said. "...sorry?"

Brushing her ponytail over her shoulder, Weiss smiled. "I almost couldn't believe it when you _agreed_ to have Yang ride on your shoulders during training - I don't think she believed it either at first."

"You got that right." The blonde called over her shoulder, having continued walking when he and Weiss stopped.

"Wait, so you had Yang do that because... because... you wanted to see if I'd say no?"

Weiss' smile grew. " _Exactly_."

Jaune called out to Yang. "… she's kidding, right?"

The fist-fighter chuckled. "Nope."

Jaune could only sigh in response, jogging _very lightly_ to catch up with Yang. The three walked into the spacious room where Goodwitch's class was held. Already having everything they needed, they immediately made their way up the stairs to where both their teams typically sat.

They were the first to arrive, but it didn't take long for their other teammates to join them, dressed and ready to fight whenever they needed to.

"You think you'll fight today Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, his partner sitting beside him.

Jaune hummed, contemplating Pyrrha's question. The fatigue from the training earlier hadn't settled in quite yet, and he was plenty 'warmed up'. Honestly, he felt _good._

 _"_ I _might_." Jaune responded uncertainly, despite how he felt. There was only one thing that would really be able to truly decide whether he'd participate: The blond reached into his pocket, pulling out his scroll.

Pyrrha leaned in as Jaune brought up the display. " _Twelve percent_?" She whispered sharply.

"Yeah, not fighting today." The boy chuckled. He'd checked, and he'd been sitting around eighty percent before the training.

That he'd lost _sixty eight_ percent without even being hit was a testament to how rigorous and effective their training was.

His partner frowned, turning forwards. "I think Weiss is working you too hard."

Jaune nodded in response, but otherwise didn't reply. Of course she was working him hard; how else was he going to get better?

Goodwitch stepped out on the arena floor, the class going silent in response. After however many classes they had with the blonde professor, everyone knew better.

"Can Weiss Schnee and Nora Valkyrie come to the floor please?"

Jaune hummed in thought, giving both Weiss and Nora smiles as they stood up and made their way down to the main floor. Nora looked as cheery as always, and Weiss determined in contrast. Everyone wished them good luck as they passed.

Curiously, with Weiss' seat vacant, Yang moved closer. "Hey Jaune?"

"What's up?"

"Who do you think is going to win this?"

As Jaune turned to face the arena, he pondered the blonde's question. "Who will win?"

"Yeah." Blake leaned forward on the other side of Yang, Ruby looking over top of both girls. "You've been training with Weiss more than anyone on our team really has." Those words _did_ make Jaune a little guilty, but he instantly rid himself of those thoughts, remembering that he only really took up Weiss' mornings "And Nora's your teammate."

"Weiss has the advantage in speed, for sure." Jaune noted, Pyrrha and Ren listening on his left. "Nora's quick, but her hammer still slows her down. If Nora can land a solid hit though, Weiss will be in trouble."

"So...?"

"It's a tough call," Jaune stated, "but if Weiss isn't aggressive then the match is going to Nora."

* * *

Readying Myrtenaster, Weiss turned to Nora, waiting for Goodwitch to call the beginning of the match. Nora herself, stood on the opposite end of the arena, hammer held behind her in preparation to charge.

Weiss hadn't actually fought Nora yet, in all their time at Beacon, but she'd definitely seen enough of how the girl fought – and _won_ – to have a good idea of how to combat her strengths. If she kept her distance and Nora bombarded her with grenades, it was over. If she got too close to Nora, and lingered long enough for the girl to strike, it was over.

She had to keep a steady balance – fighting from both long and short, switching rapidly – to defeat Nora.

Weiss called on her Aura the moment Goodwitch called "Begin", lunging for the center of Nora's chest. The Valkyrie brought the haft of her massive hammer around in hopes of blocking the precision strike.

The heiress adjusted her aim, but Nora simply shifted her hammer while letting go with one hand, Myrtenaster barely missing it's target. While her wrist was lightly knocked aside, Weiss retreated under her glyph's speed.

This time, it was Nora on the offensive, leaping forward with her hammer swinging horizontally. Weiss jumped, landing on a platform she created as she felt the rush of air from underneath her displaced by the business end of Nora's hammer. Weiss jumped even higher, flipping to land on the platform she created above.

Upside-down, Weiss had to make a decision before gravity took her. Seeing Nora's eyes, however... Weiss adjusted slightly, dashing to the other end of the ring. The heiress quickly used her Ice Dust to create a makeshift wall as she knew grenades were coming her way – her glyphs could have managed, but blocking vision was just as important.

Weiss smiled – if Nora couldn't see her... The heiress created a glyph far to the right of the wall, angled to look like she would jump off it after leaving cover. Instead, a moment later, Weiss took off in the opposite direction, creating a fresh glyph to change her course.

Nora was indeed distracted by the first glyph, but her eyes moved quick, and so did her hammer.

In order to avoid the first – and what would have likely been the last – blow of the fight, Weiss created a glyph in her flight path, stopping her cold.

Nora's hammer collided with the same glyph, and Weiss _felt_ it.

Her glyphs blocked as well as any shield, and they were good shock absorbers...

That she still shook with the contact regardless was _incredible_.

There was no way Weiss could use Nora's strength to her advantage, even with a perfect deflection; if it were a life or death situation, she'd consider it, but she wasn't about to risk breaking Myrtenaster over a practice bout... and she didn't want to break Nora's hammer either.

Time dilation was no good either – Weiss wasn't quick enough yet, and an ice wall wouldn't stop Nora this time. She'd be ready for any other tricks as well.

' _What should I do_?'

The heiress wasn't given time to think, Nora coming in for an overhead blow this time. Weiss dodged to the side, stabbing forward. Her rapier caught Nora in the side – a good hit – but she backed off immediately after, Nora using explosive force to propel the back end of her hammer through the space Weiss had just occupied.

Readjusting her grip, Nora came back around with a spinning attack – something Weiss had not been expecting. The heiress brought a hand up quickly.

Physical movement made forming glyphs easier – but Weiss wasn't quite fast enough, as the glyph was only half formed on contact.

Weiss was struck with the heavy end of the hammer, and sent skipping across the arena floor before she collided with the ice wall she'd made earlier. She checked the displays to see _half_ her Aura gone.

And Nora had only hit her at _half_ strength, courtesy of the glyph.

Weiss didn't have time to think - only to move. She barely felt the glyph beneath her, dashing out of the way as grenades impact where she'd just laid.

She wasn't about to surrender, though the thought crossed her mind. She'd been mildly unprepared for the match... but there was something else as well.

There were many different types of Dust still in Myrtenaster's cylinder... but why did she feel like she couldn't use them.

The heiress formed another glyph beneath her feet. Nora stood across the floor, her hammer having shifted forms to fire the grenades. Weiss stepped.

But the moment she did, she caught Nora's smile.

The heiress appeared where she'd intended, but in what was practically the _exact_ same place, there was one of Nora's grenades waiting.

For a couple of moments, Weiss wasn't sure which way was up – only remembering such a fundamental thing when she hit the ground. The heiress stood up slowly.

"Weiss Schnee has fallen beneath fifteen percent. The winner is Nora Valkyrie."

With a frown, Weiss looked back up to the displays, seeing herself at what must have been _exactly_ fifteen percent. Nora hit hard, and her grenades just as much. She'd have to remember that for next time.

Weiss and Nora – who gave her an apologetic smile – reported to the center of the arena where Goodwitch stood.

"Well fought you two." She confirmed. "Miss Valkyrie, it's good to see you've been listening to my advice regarding faster opponents." The blonde professor then turned to Weiss. "Miss Schnee, excellent use of misdirection, and I was most impressed by your efforts to avoid what would have been certain defeat."

"Thank you, professor."

Goodwitch's continual silence was their only sign of dismissal, the older woman tapping away at her scroll.

As Weiss made her way back to her seat, she saw Yang sitting in it, leaning in to watch Jaune's scroll. Weiss smiled, glad that the boy was still recording matches.

Her scroll buzzed in her pouch. The heiress smiled, knowing Jaune had _already_ sent it to her.

Yang moved back into her seat, Weiss settling down in her own. Ruby complimented her on a good fight – the leader of her team being the one defeating Nora the most often.

"Now then, for the next match, can I have Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc?"

Jaune stood, but he made no motion to actually walk down towards the arena floor. Weiss had to hold in a sigh.

She'd expected it.

"Professor Goodwitch, I must decline the match."

A chorus of groans went up, the students all around the arena likely getting tired of what appeared to be Jaune avoiding matches.

Goodwitch even pinched the bridge of her nose, likely stressed enough with planning for the Forever Fall trip. "On what grounds today, Mr Arc? You should be recovered from your injury, correct?"

"I am. I believe my Aura is too low for the match to be considered fair."

Cardin Winchester, who was already standing ready to fight, glared up at Jaune. Even Weiss felt the animosity.

"Allow me to confirm this." Goodwitch tapped away at her scroll. Moments later, Jaune's portrait appeared on the display, his Aura meter filling to nearly where Weiss' had sat at the end of her match.

Professor Goodwitch stared Jaune down. "Mr. Arc, do be more careful. I'll let today slide, but any more instances like this, and there will be punishment administered, understood."

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Instead of Mr. Arc, would..."

* * *

"Then, a thirty foot tall Beowolf Alpha came up the road, to where Ren and I were waiting, catching our breath."

"It wasn't a _thirty foot tall_ Beowolf... It was _thirty Beowolves_."

Jaune was listening intently to Nora recounting her dream from the previous night, not having the energy to ignore the extravagant tale. He had to admit, her stories were entertaining at the least, and hilariously unbelievable at the most. With Ren constantly correcting his excitable partner – Nora having told him of the dream first thing in the morning – it was quite humorous.

The leader of JNPR wasn't the only one 'hooked' on Nora's 'adventure' either. Sitting on the other side of Weiss with some sort of salad in front of her, was the second-year Velvet. The rabbit faunus stared at Nora, wide eyed; though Jaune couldn't be certain what the girl was thinking.

…It was probably something along the lines of ' _What have I gotten myself into_?'

Jaune yawned, turning back to his lunch. RWBY and JNPR had run into Velvet on the way to the cafeteria, and Weiss had asked the girl if she wanted to join them, to which Velvet happily agreed. Apparently, the rest of team CFVY was busy catching up on homework: A few assignments they needed to finish before they could go out on any missions.

"And then...?" Velvet supplied, prodding Nora to continue.

"That's it." Nora stated happily. "Nothing really happened after that."

"I... I see." Velvet almost sounded disappointed. "You guys have the Forever Fall trip coming up soon, don't you?"

"That's right." Pyrrha answered from down the table, seated furthest from Velvet. "It's just a couple days away. How'd it go last year?"

"Uneventful, to be honest." The rabbit faunus shrugged. "My team ran into an Ursa or two, but that was it. One of the professors wanted us to get soil samples from deep in the woods."

"I hope we don't have to do anything _that_ boring. Well..." Yang started. "As long as we stick near Jaune or Ruby there should be plenty of excitement, right?"

Jaune grunted a half-acknowledgement, chewing on some broccoli while Ruby herself groaned. "What's _that_ supposed to mean, Yang?"

Yang looked as if she was about to explain herself, before she raised a finger, indicating a pause. "Actually, hold on... Shouldn't it be Jaune or _Weiss_ at this point? I mean, it wasn't just Ruby who brought that Nevermore down on us during initiation."

Weiss scoffed, setting her fork down. "That can hardly be called my fault... it was Ruby's idea."

"I think I see where Yang's going with this." Ren commented, the boy finished with his own meal. "Jaune woke that Deathstalker during initiation, both Weiss and Ruby angered that Nevermore..." Ren's magenta eyes snapped to Jaune's. "And most recently, there was Jaune and Weiss' trip out to the Emerald Forest."

"So that puts me at one lower than both of them!" Ruby shouted excitedly, fist-pumping. " _Yes_!"

Jaune chuckled tiredly, turning to Weiss – who looked a little affronted.

"I can't believe you guys are classifying me as being a bigger trouble magnet than _Ruby_."

"Nah, Pyrrha's the real trouble _magnet_." Yang smiled a toothy grin.

Everyone stared at Yang with confusion.

"Was..." Weiss stared at the blonde. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"That doesn't even make any sense." Blake sighed, the first words Jaune had heard from the girl that day.

"Yeah, I don't get how that's supposed to be funny. Or relevant." Ruby added.

It might have gone unnoticed by the others, but Jaune just barely caught Yang winking at Pyrrha.

' _What's that about_?'

Jaune considered contributing to the conversation again, but instead he just shook his head and continued picking at his food. It was good stuff, like always, but the boy wasn't exactly hungry.

Honestly, he felt more like having a nap than anything.

The blond bit back a yawn, stretching his legs beneath the table with the intention of getting up. He checked the clock on the wall at the end of the cafeteria. "Hey, I'm going to head to the washroom and then I'll head to class."

The ones who actually had class with Jaune – history with Oobleck – nodded, and Jaune excused himself, waving his goodbyes to Ruby and Yang. If he was quick about it, he could take a leak, go get his books, and then power-nap at his desk before class started.

The thought almost drove Jaune to move quicker, but his muscles protested at anything but a gentle walk. He was really feeling it now - Weiss had definitely been putting him through the ringer.

Pushing his way into the empty men's room, Jaune approached a urinal, intent on relieving himself.

And relieve himself Jaune did. Although, he became increasingly nervous as he heard the footsteps of people moving into position behind him.

At least CRDL had the decency to let him finish.

Jaune zipped his fly, turning to Cardin. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Cardin responded, a great big smile on his face. "Just so you know, your 'grace period' is up?"

Jaune tilted his head in confusion. "My what now?"

The blond tried to move in response to Cardin suddenly grabbing him by his tie, but he just _couldn't._ He felt too sluggish, even though Cardin didn't even move _half_ as fast as Weiss did.

"You can't run here, coward. You thought I wouldn't notice you avoiding matches with me in Goodwitch's class? Well guess what... you and I, Jauney-boy? We're going to have a little fun."

* * *

"Excuse me Weiss, do you have a moment?"

The heiress looked up, Pyrrha waiting patiently for an answer. Everyone was just getting up from the cafeteria table, all finished with their lunches. The only tray that was left unattended was Jaune's.

Weiss had thought the boy had better manners – he'd just left the tray behind.

"Of course; can we talk on the way to class?" It went unspoken that they'd stop at the dorms to grab their books.

Pyrrha nodded. "That's fine with me."

Weiss had always liked Pyrrha; her attitude, her kindness... Originally, Weiss respected her for her strength, her _technique_. After all, it wasn't exactly easy to be the reigning champion of a regional tournament for four years in a row. So far, she'd been undefeated at Beacon too, another impressive feat.

But, through the limited time they spent together, Weiss grew to respect the girl for more than that. She was a champion – a celebrity – but she never acted like it. She wasn't haughty or dismissive of others. When they first met at Beacon, Weiss had expected Pyrrha to be _unapproachable_ , even for her.

Here they were, however, chatting like friends... though Pyrrha seemed to have something on her mind.

"What do you need?" Weiss asked, narrowly avoiding running into one of their seniors on the way out the cafeteria doors.

"I want to ask you something about Jaune."

Weiss blinked, not having expected that. "Sure? I mean, I'd think you would know him better than I do."

Pyrrha shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Doesn't he seem really tired today? More so than usual?"

The heiress took a moment to think about that. "I'm not sure... he's at least a little tired from training, I know that... but nothing out of the ordinary."

"Not at all." Pyrrha denied. "He left a lot more food on his tray than normal, he's barely said anything today at the table..."

Weiss couldn't say she _had_ noticed, but now that Pyrrha pointed it out. "You're right... maybe he's a little under the weather?"

"Did Jaune say anything to you this morning, during training?"

"No." If Jaune wasn't feeling well, he _would_ have said something. Weiss knew the boy wanted to improve, but if he was ill, they could have taken the day off. "You?"

"I didn't even see him today until during combat class." Pyrrha stated. "He seemed... distant."

Weiss hummed.

"Are you sure you're giving him enough time to rest? I looked at your guys' training schedule before. It's efficient, but..."

"You're worried about him." Weiss noted, coming to that conclusion easily enough. Ever since the 'Emerald Forest incident', Pyrrha had been a little more protective of her leader – even getting up early enough to watch from the sidelines during one of their training sessions.

"Of course I am."

Maybe protective wasn't the right word though. Jaune was Pyrrha's leader, and Pyrrha was doing her job as his partner in looking after him.

Though she didn't necessarily want to admit it, Pyrrha did have a point.

"What do you suggest, then?" Weiss quizzed. "I don't want to reduce the intensity or the duration of his training..."

"I'd recommend adjusting the scheduling a bit: Two days on, two days off. Or maybe even three-and-three, if you want. How tired Jaune is isn't the only issue, after all."

Weiss nodded – adjusting the schedule had been her first thought as well, as Jaune hadn't been able to participate in Goodwitch's combat class at _all_ since they went out into the Emerald Forest. One day of rest wasn't even enough for Jaune's Aura to recover to _half_ from one of their training sessions. If Weiss could do one day of lighter training, and then the next day work Jaune to the bone, followed by a couple days worth of rest?

Maybe that would be better after all.

"We'll try it out, see how it goes. I'll have to tell Jaune though."

"Actually, why don't I let Jaune know after Oobleck's class?" Pyrrha suggested. "He's not the only one who needs rest, after all."

Weiss gave Pyrrha a smile, silently suppressing the urge to yawn.

"Thanks, but I can handle it. It'd be better if I was the one to tell him anyways."

"Okay then."

Weiss and Pyrrha continued their walk in relative silence, and the heiress had to admit it wasn't _comfortable_. The two got back to their dorms, Pyrrha telling Weiss to go on ahead – that there was something she needed to do before heading to class.

Weiss didn't bother asking the champion 'what' - If Pyrrha had something to do, she had _something to do_.

It was a rather short, albeit lonely walk to Oobleck's class for the heiress; Blake was wherever Blake tended to disappear to before class, Jaune had gone ahead, and Pyrrha had stayed behind.

' _If today were the second training day, then we'd have the next two days off._ 'Weiss thought, planning out the new schedule. ' _Maybe we should go for four days... there's Forever Fall, and then we should take the day after the trip off too_.'

"Hey Weiss!"

The heiress turned her head. "Oh, hi Velvet." She greeted casually, knowing she'd have been seeing the faunus in class anyways.

The second-year student fell in stride with Weiss fluidly. "You looked rather deep in thought, something up?"

Weiss smiled politely, shaking her head. "Nothing too important, just thinking about Jaune's training."

"Ah, yes." Velvet nodded. "I heard Yatsu mention that."

' _What_?' "Sorry?"

"Yatsuhashi, my partner? He says he sees you guys in the training room every other morning when he's there lifting weights."

"Oh, right." Weiss _had_ noticed the massive senior keeping to himself in the corner, but she'd never said hello – in fact, she'd been curious as to why he hadn't approached them himself. "What did he have to say?"

"He said something about being impressed that Jaune could keep up with your pace, but he was concerned that you're working him too hard." Weiss grimaced. Was she the only one who didn't notice?

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking about."

Velvet nodded, as if that was what she expected. "I'll tell you what, if you've got a minute or two after class, I can help you with the planning? With Yatsu as a partner, I kinda..." The girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I kinda had physical fitness _drilled_ into me from day one."

Weiss sighed. If she didn't notice anything wrong with Jaune, but others _had._ Maybe she did need a little help.

And if Velvet was more knowledgeable about training...

" _He's not the only one who need's rest_." Pyrrha's words echoed in her mind.

"Sure. Why not."

* * *

Pyrrha looked left. Then right. Then left again.

Oobleck's lectures were always... hard to follow – not intellectually, but physically. Pyrrha still wasn't sure if the lanky man was teaching them both history _and_ training their reflexes, or if he always moved at that speed.

The champion figured it was the latter, but you really couldn't tell when it came to Beacon's staff. Just like the students, they all had their own quirks.

Pyrrha looked down at her notes, writing as fast as she possibly could in order to keep up with the lesson. The topic of discussion for today was – like the past couple days – the Faunus Rights Revolution. The redhead always loved learning new things, and her education at Sanctum had never covered the revolution in nearly as much detail as Oobleck had in the _first fifteen minutes_ of class.

As with any class, however, there were students who weren't following the lesson at all. Pyrrha couldn't exactly look around and see how many, but she knew two off the top of her head.

There was Cardin Winchester, whose racism wasn't exactly well hidden - and in this case, the source of his disinterest.

And there was Jaune.

Pyrrha frowned, eyes roving over the back of her leader's blond head. She wasn't sure if it was a lack of interest on the boy's part with regards to the topic, or if he really was just _that_ tired. She really hoped Weiss took her words to heart and adjusted her methods.

"Miss Nikos, is something the matter?"

Pyrrha almost jumped in her seat. When had Oobleck moved three rows up to stand on the stairs right next to where she had been sitting? "Sorry, Professor Oo-"

" _Doctor_."

"Sorry Dr. Oobleck." Pyrrha corrected. "It won't happen again."

The history professor looked down at her notes, nodded once, then resumed with his lecture, zipping back down to his desk and the map behind it. "Of course, time was a valuable asset for the Faunus as well – most of humankind was focused on subjugating the Faunus as soon as possible, so the longer the smaller resistance groups could hold out, the longer the Faunus had to generate a proper retaliatory offensive. These resistance groups sabotaged supply lines, destroyed factories, and in rare cases took military officials hostage in an attempt to delay humanity's progress. This of course, as I mentioned, occurs prior to the Faunus War itself. The revolutionaries adopted similar tactics to the resistance groups once the war began, and even to this _very day_ , radical groups such as the White Fang continue to use these tactics; both because they are effective, and that they have _history_."

Pyrrha nodded to herself, writing all that down.

"Now! Who can tell me why the White Fang continue to use these tactics, despite the various countermeasures put into place to prevent said attacks?"

Blake, sitting next to Pyrrha, raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Belladonna?"

"Because it's frustrating for whoever the White Fang is targeting."

"I'd have worded that better, but you are 'half' correct." Oobleck moved to the other side of the room. "Indeed, it's likely that the White Fang purposefully attack at where security is stronger simply because there's nothing more frustrating than being beaten when you think you have an advantage – much like General Lagune's defeat at Fort Castle, as we discussed last class."

The professor took a sip from his coffee – at least, Pyrrha _assumed_ it was coffee. "Is there anyone who would like to add something to Miss Belladonna's answer."

" _Hey_!"

Pyrrha turned, just in time to see Jaune rubbing the back of his head, and a victorious smile on Cardin's face.

Oobleck joined them but a moment later, standing in front of Jaune's desk. "Ah, Mr. Arc. I know you don't contribute much to class, but next time please raise your hand instead of shouting out."

Jaune remained in his seat, staring awkwardly at the professor. "Right. Umm... So..."

"What would you like to add?"

Jaune 'smiled' uncertainly, looking behind the professor at the map of Remnant. Pyrrha was certain that if she was closer, she'd be able to see him _sweating_.

Pyrrha quickly checked her peripherals, before coughing once. It was up to Jaune whether he looked to her for support or not, but the champion frowned, pointing at her expression.

Jaune looked to her, realization dawning on his face. Pyrrha really hoped he'd understood it as-

"People would be... _sad_."

' _No_ ~'

While the answer wasn't necessarily wrong, it got a chorus of chuckles from the majority of the class – and a full bout of laughter from Cardin.

Oobleck sighed. "Well, like Miss Belladonna's answer, it's _not_ _wrong_." Pyrrha was half expecting the man to lecture Jaune on the importance of paying attention in class _again_ , but instead, the professor returned to the center of the room. "The White Fang's methods are not only intended to be frustrating, but also _demoralizing_." The professor stared pointedly at Jaune. "I believe _that_ is the word you were looking for, Mr. Arc."

" _Right_."

"With that said," the professor returned his attention to the lesson at hand, "the White Fang onl-"

The bell signaling the end of classes rang, interrupting whatever Dr. Oobleck was about to say next. With only the speed an auctioneer could handle, the professor finished his sentence – though Pyrrha guaranteed _no one_ understood a word he said.

While a majority of students made to leave immediately, there were a few who lingered: Weiss and Velvet remained seated, discussing something, and Jaune stretched at his desk. Pyrrha looked to Weiss, then back at Jaune.

If Weiss was helping Jaune with his fighting...

Pyrrha got up, walking down the steps towards Jaune's desk. Standing before him, she waited for him to notice her presence.

The blond finally noticed her. "Oh, hey Pyr. Thanks for the help."

"Yeah, sure," Pyrrha ignored the blond's thanks – more focused on her own question: She had to word it in a way that didn't sound offensive. "You know, with Weiss helping you with your training... I was wondering if you wanted to study together? After classes and such."

"You'd do that for me?" Jaune asked, surprised.

"Well, we're partners." There was the obvious reason – the reason she should have been helping him in the first place. "What would be the point if we didn't help each other out?"

The boy didn't even look like he took the time to think it over. "Of course; sounds good to me."

Pyrrha smiled.

* * *

Weiss looked down at the paper she held in her hands. Velvet indeed had a considerable amount of knowledge about anything and everything regarding one's physical fitness. The heiress would have preferred to have Jaune along for the planning, but she supposed the boy wouldn't have had much input anyways.

Deftly folding the paper into a square, Weiss regrettably began walking back to the dorms. The day was done, and she still needed to tell Jaune about the rescheduling.

...as well as ask him some questions of her own.

' _How foolish of him_... _I've cautioned against overworking and the importance of resting how many times..._ '

All the times he'd smiled and said he was okay... he really _wasn't_. Obviously, with the training they'd done, he'd been tired and out of breath more times than she could count – but she'd kept putting the pressure on, because moments later he'd be 'fine'… when he really _wasn't_.

Heck, maybe he thought he was 'fine' too.

Weiss growled, walking faster. She wasn't just angry at Jaune – she was more angry at herself for not noticing, though the boy never saying anything about his condition certainly didn't help.

Nor did being unable to find him... Pyrrha had said that Jaune went out for a walk, but not where or why. The heiress had even checked the training room. Weiss wasn't exactly surprised that Jaune wasn't there, but after looking practically everywhere else, where she'd seen him most often had made the most sense.

' _I guess I'll just have to let him know tomorrow_...'

"Something on your mind, Weiss?"

"Nothing really, Jaune, just-" The girl whirled around, stomping a foot on the floor. "Where _have you_ been?"

"Uhh... I went for a walk?"

The heiress glared at the blond, hoping that he understood that his answer wasn't exactly suitable.

"I had to call home." The boy held up his scroll. "Nora was fast asleep, so... Is something the matter?"

Weiss brought a hand to her face, sighing. "No, It's just I've been looking for you for a while."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

' _He doesn't seem tired at all_...'

The blond rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry?"

Weiss waved her hand dismissively. "No, it's quite alright. Here's our new schedule."

Jaune narrowed his eyes suspiciously, taking the offered paper. He unfolded it, reading it over. "You want us to meet up _less_?"

"It's not less." Weiss explained quickly. "It just gives us longer timeframes for rest."

"Why?"

"Because you're working too hard." Jaune opened his mouth to say something, but Weiss didn't give him a chance. " _I've_ been working you too hard."

"I'm fine, Weiss I-"

"And you need to be more _honest_." Weiss snapped. "On two separate occasions today, I was told that you looked tired, or were acting tired... and I didn't notice- no... it's not that _I_ didn't notice; it's that you were hiding that from me."

"I'm not strong enough yet."

Weiss scoffed. "You're plenty strong, Jaune."

Suddenly, Weiss had an epiphany. "And you know what?"

' _He was too tired today... his Aura was low..._ '

"No training until we're back from Forever Fall. Understood?"

"Why are you telling _me_ what to do?" Jaune's voice came out in a loud whisper. "I want to train; I want to be stronger."

" _Jaune_... That's what _this_ wants _._ " She jabbed her finger sharply – but softly – right over his heart. Then she poked him right in the forehead. "This too."

"Ow." The blond winced at the contact.

"But listen to what your body is saying. What is it trying to tell you?" Weiss asked, remembering the discussion her and Velvet had after history.

"I um..." Jaune looked to his feet for an answer. "I don't know?"

"Then Jaune, I have a different kind of training for you."

The boy seemed to perk up at that.

"No intense physical exercise for two days." It was the weekend, so it was the perfect time for it. "For the next two days, only do what you _want_ , when you want to do it. Eat what you want, whenever you want; sleep however long you want, _whenever you want_."

Jaune stared at her blankly. "That doesn't sound like training."

"It is." Weiss started to walk away, in the general direction of the dorms. When Jaune didn't follow, the heiress looked over her shoulder. " _No intense physical exercise_. If I hear or see anything, I'll let Ruby use you for target practice."

Weiss continued walking with a frown on her face, ignoring whatever expression dawned on Jaune's. ' _I definitely could have handled that better_...'

The girl yawned.

' _Oh well_.'

* * *

 **I'm surprised I managed to squeeze so much content into so few words - or the opposite, depending on how you think about it.**

 **If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them: Send me a PM or leave me a Review. It's always good to hear input from my readers.**


	13. Want

**This chapter... man, don't even start with me.**

 **This should have been written ages ago, but I've been rather negligent when it comes to my writing recently. I couldn't really call it procrastination, but I kept putting it off. "Oh, I'll write tomorrow morning" and then tomorrow morning comes and I won't feel like writing at all.**

 **So finally I sat down for an evening or two and just had at 'er. I'm starting to understand my own style more and more, which is a good thing.**

 **Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

Jaune Arc had no idea what he wanted to do.

Laying back on his bed, the only light provided came from the moon hanging high outside the dorm's window. For what had to have been the past hour or so, the boy had simply laid there, staring up at the ceiling, _thinking_. All his teammates were sound asleep, but Jaune himself just couldn't peace of mind.

It was easy for the blond to say he had something he wanted to do: first and foremost, he wanted to train… but he immediately struck that off his list. Training was something he _thought_ he wanted to do, and Weiss had all but banned him from anything too strenuous.

The boy sat up. Even still, unable to sleep as he was, he supposed laying around in bed – no matter the hour – was not exactly something he wanted to do..

With a sigh, Jaune stripped out of his onesie, pulling on his workout clothes. He wasn't going to be training… he'd just be going for a walk. Nothing more.

Making sure the door closed softly behind him, Jaune started down the hall. He wondered what his teammates would think, considering he'd told them all he was taking a break from his intensive training – if he was 'sneaking out' during the middle of the night...

Pyrrha had been the most relieved to hear that he was going to be taking it a little easier for the next few days; after all, his partner had even mentioned the other day how she thought Weiss was working him too hard.

For a brief moment, Jaune looked back to his team's dorm. He didn't want them to worry.

' _Maybe I should go back_?'

Jaune thought about it for a few seconds longer. He didn't _want_ to return to the dorm, necessarily. But he also didn't _want_ his teammates to panic if they woke up in the middle of the night to see him gone.

But was that what Weiss had meant? To do what he wanted to do?

The blond coughed, turning to walk down the hall.

Jaune breathed the cold air that permutated Beacon's halls at night – heating was cut at a certain hour, probably to save the school some lien. The boy shivered, before he began to jog lightly – it wasn't 'strenuous' activity; he was doing it more so in the interest of keeping warm anyways.

The halls were dimly lit, and eerily quiet – the sound of Jaune's feet touching the floor lightly echoing in the silence. Before the blond knew it, his feet had carried him far away from the student's dorms. Slowing to a walk, Jaune breathed easily – a jog barely even had him out of breath anymore. In fact, he found the little bit of exercise was quite relaxing.

The boy looked around, not really surprised to see that he was standing outside the training room he and Weiss had practically claimed as theirs – for the mornings, at least.

Jaune turned away from the door. The most he could do alone was lift weights, or maybe even run around the track. Weiss probably wouldn't get angry if that was all he did... but...

He didn't _want_ to do that.

Sighing, Jaune continued down the hall.

Weiss had claimed this was part of his training. He was beginning to see why: It was frustrating.

Rounding a corner, something caught Jaune's eye: dead ahead, if Jaune remembered correctly, was one of Beacon's courtyards, this one with a balcony that offered an incredible view of the academy itself. Framed in the moonlight was a familiar silhouette, likely drinking in that view.

Jaune stepped into the courtyard, a light breeze making the hairs on his bare arms stand on end.

He tilted his head. "...Professor Port?"

The burly man turned suddenly, his moustache raising in what Jaune had commonly assumed was a smile. "Ah, Mr. Arc!"

Jaune winced at the man's greeting – sure, the dorms were far away, but the blond was still concerned he may have woken someone. "What are you doing out here?"

The professor didn't answer immediately, instead beckoning for the blond to come stand alongside him. Jaune hesitated for but a moment, before stepping forward, joining the huntsman.

"You can see Vale from here." The professor pointed out. Jaune looked, and off in the distance, the city's lights were visible between a couple of Beacon's spires. "In the middle of the day, if you know where to look, you can just barely see Vale at all; but right now, in the dead of night, it's clearly visible."

"Yeah."

The man in charge of Beacon's Grimm studies turned. "Something troubling you?"

Jaune nodded. "I-"

"I come out here and watch the sunset." The professor stated. "To answer your earlier question."

' _Sunset was three hours ago..._ ' Jaune shook off the thought. "Why?"

"Because... _actually_ , that's probably not something I should tell you right now." The man tugged on his moustache. "Another time, perhaps. Just know that I enjoy the view."

The blond was actually caught a little off guard – there was something Professor Port didn't want to talk about?

"Regardless, I'll restate my question: There's something troubling you, isn't there?"

"Uh... yeah." Jaune looked out over Beacon, a little confused with the professor's words. "You know about my training with Weiss Schnee, right?"

The older man turned to stare. "My boy, I don't think there's a single member of Beacon's staff who _doesn't_ know, ever since the two of you went out to the Emerald Forest. And I'm the one who gave you guys permission."

Jaune looked to his feet in embarrassment. ' _Of course... I'm an idiot.._.' The blond cleared his throat. "Right... so, Weiss told me that for today and tomorrow, that I should only do what I want, when I want to do it."

"Oh?"

"But I don't really _want_ to do anything, I don't think." Jaune admitted. "I couldn't get to sleep because I'm so frustrated that there's nothing that really comes to mind aside from training, so here I am."

"I think you misunderstand Miss Schnee's intention; _I_ think she wants you to relax a little, listen to your instincts... have fun." The professor noted, crossing his arms as he looked towards Vale. "...I'm afraid _that_ is probably the one thing I'll be of very little help with, if you want advice."

Jaune hummed. Is that what Weiss really wanted him to do? Relax? "What do you do to relax, Professor?"

"That's why I said I'd be of very little help." The professor grinned once more. "When I want to have a little fun, or relax, I head out to the Emerald Forest and I _hunt_."

Jaune smiled awkwardly. ' _Right_.'

"That said, I suppose the only advice I can give you is this: rather than trying to think of things you 'want' to do, think of things you 'enjoy', and do those."

The blond nodded. That made a little more sense than what Weiss had said... but it still didn't solve anything: after all, there were things that Jaune enjoyed doing that he didn't necessarily want to do.

Jaune scanned the horizon, as if the answers would be somewhere in the distance.

The blond shook his head as he bit back a yawn. "Thanks for the help Professor."

"Anytime, my boy." The large man patted Jaune's shoulder – softer than Jaune had thought he would. "You'll make a great huntsman."

For once, Jaune felt a sense of pride at hearing those words. He couldn't remember all the times people had said similar things in idle encouragement – even his partner, Pyrrha. Jaune hadn't believed a word of it.

He'd always wanted to prove them right.

* * *

Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Pyrrha smiled. Very rarely, up at Beacon, you could catch a faint whiff of the sea. Down in Vale, even as far inland as they were, you could smell it a little more strongly.

It reminded her of home.

"Well Pyrrha? Where would you like to go?"

The championship fighter turned to her partner, the boy wiping at his chin with his hoodie sleeve while staring at her intently. Nora and Ren were off to the side, watching as the Bullhead that dropped them off flew away.

Jaune was probably asking her because she'd been the one to suggest this outing initially. Pyrrha wanted to spend more time in the city proper – learn as much as she could about the people of Vale, as for the next four years, they were going to be 'under her care', doing missions and the like in the area.

"I'm... not sure. I suppose we could get something to eat first?" Pyrrha suggested. They'd left early enough that they'd have plenty of time to explore – there were places Nora and Ren had wanted to go too, after all.

Three heads nodded their agreement. All eyes then turned to Jaune.

"What?"

Nora stepped forward. "In case you've forgotten, _you're_ the member of JNPR whose lived in Vale the longest. So you should know of some good places to eat around here. Right Jaune?"

Jaune frowned. "I guess? I mean, not around here; Vale's a big city, and I grew up wayonthe other side of it. Well, _that_ , and it was too expensive for my family to eat out often."

Humming, Pyrrha looked around. There was nothing that immediately screamed 'we sell food here' anywhere close to where they'd been dropped off. The redhead herself found that odd, as back home it was rather typical to have restaurants and the like close to transit stations for the commuters to grab a bite.

"We don't have to worry about expenses today." Pyrrha offered. "I'll pay; I'm the one who suggested we go out anyways."

"You will?"

Pyrrha nodded, reassuring her partner. Winning four regional tournaments in a row – as well as numerous sponsorship deals – proved rather lucrative.

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere unless we start moving!" Nora exclaimed, skipping forwards.

With a sigh, Ren followed the excitable girl, shaking his head. Though the boy would seem annoyed to anyone else, Pyrrha didn't miss the way the edges of his mouth curled in a smile.

She still couldn't believe they weren't 'together-together'.

After walking a few blocks, Pyrrha turned to her partner. "Say, Jaune...?"

"Yes Pyrrha?"

"Do you know if Vale has any beaches?"

The blond looked confused for a moment – as he should have been, considering the random question – before he shook his head. "No, the closest thing Vale has are indoor pools."

Pyrrha hummed. "That's a shame. I enjoy walking along the beach."

The hot sun... the sand between her toes... using her semblance to find metal things people had lost in said sand...

"I'd like to go to Mistral someday." Jaune commented. Pyrrha was surprised that he came to that conclusion. "I hear it's nice there."

Pyrrha smiled. "It is."

It didn't take long for JNPR to find somewhere to eat – they'd settled for a simple diner where everyone got what they wanted. To Pyrrha's relief, it had actually been rather cheap.

Just because she had lots of money, didn't mean she wasn't frugal.

After they ate, they'd set out again, stopping briefly at a bookstore – apparently, the same one Blake had taken Ren and Nora to during their first trip down to Vale. To the redhead's surprise, not one of them left empty handed, herself included.

She was actually pretty annoyed at herself for that. She'd gone into the bookstore, not willing to buy anything... but then a cover caught her eye. Then, she read the synopsis on the back...

Before she knew it, she was passing it over the counter, asking if they had a copy in hardcover.

Pyrrha sighed, hugging the paper bag to her chest. She'd almost spent as much on the book as she had on food for herself and _one_ teammate.

There _had_ to be something wrong with that.

"So, where to now Pyrrha?" Nora asked, skipping in front of the Mistrali. JNPR had found a pair of benches, sitting there to 'rest', despite none of them needing it.

Pyrrha looked between Jaune and Ren, wondering if they had any input. Both boys shrugged, deferring to her decision.

Honestly, that was a little frustrating, though she didn't let it show-

"Actually..." Pyrrha, about to speak, looked up to Jaune, the boy smiling awkwardly. "There's somewhere I've never been that I wouldn't mind checking out."

" _Oh_? Let's go then!" Nora let out excitedly, not even giving it a second thought.

As per the norm, Nora's enthusiasm was extremely contagious, the rest of JNPR standing quickly. "I think it's close by." Jaune mentioned, checking his scroll. With an affirmative nod, Pyrrha's partner turned, following his map.

"Where are we going?" Pyrrha asked, catching up to Jaune, with Ren and Nora joining her a moment later.

"The Vale Museum of History."

"Oh, The- _what_?" Pyrrha cringed as Nora almost tripped over her own feet.

"The Vale Museum of History." Jaune restated. "I've always wanted to see it."

"That's surprising." Ren commented, keeping an eye on Nora.

"Is it really?" Jaune asked, putting his scroll back into his pocket.

"Well, from what Pyrrha said, you don't sound like you're too interested in history."

Jaune hummed, and Pyrrha noticed him glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. The redhead smiled apologetically.

"Book learning's never really been my strong suit." He admitted after a moment. "Besides, the museum is actually a rather popular tourist spot. I figure since you guys are all from elsewhere, you might enjoy it as well."

"I see."

Pyrrha didn't even have to be told which building was the museum as they got closer. Banners hanging down from tall columns advertising the different exhibits was evidence enough that the large, brick building before them was their destination.

"There's no fee for Beacon students?" Pyrrha asked wonderously, reading a sign as they made their way up the steps to the entrance.

"Yeah. Not sure why though." Jaune responded.

The four of them, upon scanning their scrolls for identity confirmation, were let through the gates. The receptionist smiled at them happily, before returning to whatever task she'd been in the middle of before they'd approached.

"Big place." Ren noted.

"Yeah..." Pyrrha had to agree. The main hall was probably as large as Beacon's cafeteria, only instead of tables and benches and lively students, the museum's hall was filled with display cases, dividers, and way more people than Pyrrha had expected.

Jaune wasn't lying when he said it was popular.

"Oh, _guys_! Come look at this!"

Pyrrha hadn't even noticed Nora and Ren leaving their group, the girl staring up at what appeared to be the mapping of an Ursa's skeletal structure, Ren examining it curiously as well. The redhead smiled, glad the two were already enjoying themselves.

"I've always _wanted_ to come here."

Pyrrha turned, seeing Jaune not looking at any display in particular. In fact, the boy showed no sign of wanting to take a step in any direction, standing stock still while looking out over the crowd of visitors.

But he was smiling.

The champion watched on as, with a deep breath, Jaune took a step forward. He turned to her, waving her over. "Do you want to look at the displays first, or visit one of the exhibits?"

"Ren, look at _this_!"

Pyrrha shrugged. "I think we should just follow Nora for now."

"Nora, don't touch that!"

"… Good idea."

After nearly an hour of 'following' Nora around the museum's main hall, Pyrrha and the rest of JNPR found themselves in one of the many exhibits set up in one of the side halls. Relatively unpopulated, they had nearly the entire exhibit to themselves. Besides perusing the 'skeltons' of numerous Grimm, and learning more about the history of Vale and the surrounding area itself, there was still much to entertain themselves with.

JNPR watched on as a holographic recreation of the Battle of Fort Castle played on the table before them. According to what she remembered being taught by Oobleck in class, it was a historically accurate representation as well – though that probably should have been a given, considering it was a museum of _history_.

With the conclusion of the battle, the display went dark for a moment, before lighting up again, offering a number of selections for the next demonstration. Pyrrha abandoned the table though, having watched everything it had to offer – even as Nora played the 'Battle of Fort Castle' again.

Pyrrha stretched her arms high above her head, wandering over to the bench Ren was sitting at. The boy nodded as she approached. He'd volunteered to look after everyone's stuff while they wandered the exhibit, content to sit and savor the atmosphere.

"Enjoying yourself?" The boy asked simply.

"More or less. Have you seen Jaune?"

Ren thumbed over his shoulder. Following the motion, Pyrrha looked up, and saw the blond staring intently at a wall with a few photos. She gave Ren her thanks, before walking over.

Pyrrha moved to stand beside Jaune, looking over the same pictures the boy had been examining. They all looked like they were taken with an old fashioned camera, and not a scroll. Unlike the Faunus War – which could be considered 'recent' history – these pictures were taken during the Great War.

The Great War was a _long_ time ago. Back then, they barely even used Dust to power anything. That meant no airships, no vehicles... with the exeption of Atlas - _Mantle_ \- there weren't even any weapons using Dust based projectiles – at least, until the last year of the war.

Looking through the photos, there wasn't a single picture of a Grimm. From what she'd read earlier, it seemed like the Grimm weren't an issue during the fighting simply because _everyone_ had a weapon, and _everyone_ knew how to use it. The villages on the other hand... things didn't go so well for them.

Every kingdom's forces – back when the kingdoms still had monarchs – killed indiscriminately during those days. Towns burned at the slightest whisper of rebellion. If you couldn't fight, you'd die.

Pyrrha was thankful for the peace they had now.

One particular image caught Pyrrha's eye though. She looked to Jaune, seeing that his eyes had been resting on the very same image.

"A knight from the Kingdom of Vale, resting in front of the ruined remains of a rebellion safehouse." She whispered to herself.

She'd have recognized that shield anywhere.

"That's Grandpa Arc, yeah."

Pyrrha turned towards Jaune. "Your grandfather was a Vale Knight?"

The blond nodded solemnly. "Just a man on the wrong side of history. If he didn't fight... if he didn't do the things he did, I wouldn't be here right now."

Pyrrha cringed. It was just a few minutes ago that she read about what the old kings in Vale - the ones who came before the Last King - did to 'retain' loyalty.

"I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright." Jaune stated, turning his back to the wall of photographs. "Hold on a moment... Is that...?"

The redhead followed her leader's gaze. Standing not far away, speaking with a member of the museum's staff, was Dr. Oobleck. She almost didn't recognize him at first, with the long brown coat and the odd hat, but with how quickly he seemed to be speaking, who else could it be?

She was impressed that the man he was talking to was able to keep up, his head nodding at fast-paced intervals.

"Should we say hi?" Pyrrha asked innocently.

"Might as well."

The duo walked closer, Pyrrha catching the tail end of what the professor was saying:

"...I should be able to get something by the end of the semester; with my duties as a professor, I've had to rely on the students to retrieve things from the Emerald Forest, but as I have to rely on the students, they can sometimes be: _unreliable_."

"I understand, doctor. There's no rush."

Oobleck nodded, and the other man took off, headed back towards the main hall area. When Jaune didn't take a step forward, Pyrrha did.

"Hi, Dr. Oobleck."

"Ah, Miss Nikos!" The Beacon professor seemed taken aback for a moment, before he regained his composure. "And Mr. Arc as well! I must say, I wasn't expecting to see any students here today. In fact, it's very rare I see any students here at all! A shame, that."

"It was such a nice day, so we decided to come to Vale," Pyrrha started, before she realized the opportunity right in front of her. "Jaune was the one who recommended we come to the museum."

Pyrrha didn't see the expression on Jaune's face, as she was too busy grinning convincingly as the lanky professor's eyebrows seemed to rise into his hat. "Really now?"

Jaune shuffled where he stood. "Yeah."

The professor hummed.

"So..." Pyrrha started, "Why are you here doctor?"

With a smile, Dr. Oobleck spoke. "Beacon Academy and the Vale Museum of History have long-standing ties, going back to before the two of you were likely born. I used to work for the museum, before the headmaster hired me on as a full time professor."

"Wait, aren't you a huntsman?" Jaune asked.

"Why, of course I am!" He replied, eyes hidden behind his glasses. "I graduated Beacon long ago, but the museum contracted me right after graduation to be their specialist out in the field. During that time, I also worked on my doctorate. After a couple years, I was then asked to teach at Beacon. To this day, I still collaborate with the museum whenever they need help with fieldwork or setting up exhibits whenever I have time."

' _So, instead of taking missions like other huntsmen would, he worked for the museum..._ ' It wasn't unusual for huntsmen and huntresses to be hired independently, but a museum was the last place Pyrrha would have thought to look for work after graduation.

Though, with a tournament record like hers, she definitely had more options than most – she could probably fight professionally until she had to retire.

Not that she would though – just that she _could_.

"Speaking of time, I need to head back to the academy. Don't forget about your assignments due on Tuesday!"

Pyrrha didn't miss her partner's grimace, before it quickly was replaced by a smile. Oobleck was, of course, referring to the assignments her and Jaune had finished already. It had been a little more frustrating for the redhead than usual, making sure the blond was doing things write.

His handwriting also nearly gave her a headache, but that was another matter entirely.

"Of course Dr. Oobleck. See you Tuesday."

The professor zipped away, as quick as ever. Pyrrha turned, and not a moment later, Nora peeked over the table. The girl's head was barely visible through the holographic battle ensuing on the surface.

"Is it safe? Is he _gone_?"

Jaune smiled at Nora's antics. "Yeah, he's gone. Anyways, we've still got plenty of time. What do you guys want to do next?"

* * *

" _Ruby_..." Weiss groaned. "I told you before, it won't work like that. _You_ stand..." The heiress pointed with Myrtenaster. " _Here_. I'll stand right... _here_."

"Is this good?" Weiss' partner asked, aiming down her scope.

"This should be fine. Let's try it."

They hadn't been working on their 'combination attack', as Ruby called it, for very long – only about an hour or so. The initial challenge was their positioning, which Weiss found incredibly simple, but Ruby was still having troubles with.

Calling on her Aura, Weiss summoned a glyph before her.

"I can't see the target again Weiss!"

Weiss grunted, adjusting the position of the glyph. She still had things she needed to work on too.

"Oh." Ruby fired her rifle. The bullet passed through Weiss' glyph, and the heiress watched as it impacted the target.

"Good hit." Weiss called out, though Ruby likely saw that for herself. "I'm adding the second glyph."

The tug on her Aura was light, another smaller glyph overlaying the original.

"Firing." Ruby called, before her rifle barked. This time, the bullet impacted slightly lower, but the thick frost that suddenly covered the target proved that what they were doing was working.

"I'll adjust up slightly – use a little more Dust."

"Okay." Weiss didn't dare move a muscle. She recreated the second glyph, focusing on the Dust in Myrtenaster's cylinders.

"Firing." Ruby repeated.

Ruby's weapon made the same sound as always. The bullet passed through the glyph, unhindered – _same as always_. Only, the round impacted the ground before it got anywhere near the target, crystals of ice forming where it hit.

Ruby scoffed, standing abruptly as Weiss canceled out her glyphs. "Darn."

"We're getting there." Weiss confirmed. Looking over her shoulder, the heiress noticed Blake, passed out on a bench, with Yang laying on the ground not far from the girl. "We should take a break for a moment."

"Alright." Ruby agreed, wiping at her brow with her sleeve, walking towards their teammates. Weiss, on the other hand looked over to the target range's most recent scar, frowning.

It had worked with Jaune... why wasn't it working now? Did it have something to do with Aura? Velocity? Dust?

Weiss had always been used to moving herself at high speeds. With Ruby back at initiation it had worked fine, but with Jaune it had been wonky, and now with Ruby's bullets she was having a tough time.

She bit her lip, following Ruby. Maybe she could try using three glyphs instead?

"Ready to go again, Blake?" Yang asked, panting on her back.

" _No~_ " the blonde's partner groaned.

" _Good_."

Weiss was honestly surprised to see the two working so hard. What they'd thought out for their combination was a little more... demanding... but, where as Ruby and Weiss had been working with something a little more technical, Blake and Yang's training was much simpler as well.

They'd wanted to have these attacks perfected before Forever Fall, and in that respect they'd made incredible progress.

Weiss sat on the bench next to Blake's feet. "When we go back up Ruby, I'm going to try three glyphs."

After draining the last of the water bottle and wiping her chin, Ruby nodded. "That might work. If we finish this today, we can take all of tomorrow to rest for the field trip."

"That's a good idea." Weiss agreed.

"Are you going to be training with Jaune tomorrow morning?"

"No," Weiss responded simply. "Jaune needs the rest, so we're probably not going to end up training until a day or two after the trip."

"That's _sweet_ of you Weiss." Yang called from where she lay on the ground. If Weiss wasn't already sitting, she'd have considered kicking the girl lightly. The heiress knew she was joking, but Yang's teasing was starting to become seriously annoying.

"Hey _Ruby_ , do you want to put me in charge of our team's training after today?" Weiss asked innocently, with what she hoped was a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Please _no_." Yang groaned.

"That's what I thought."

"Ah... It's always good to see students hard at work."

Weiss turned in the direction of the newcomer, rising to her feet upon seeing who it was. "Professor Ozpin!"

With a grunt of pain, Blake stood as well. Ruby smiled up at the headmaster from where she sat, and Yang continued to lay on the ground, raising an arm in greeting.

"Hi!" Ruby called out in greeting.

"Hello." The headmaster returned.

After that, no one spoke. At least, not immediately. Ozpin took a sip from his mug.

"Can we help you, headmaster?" Blake asked.

"No, just patrolling the halls. Most students are spending their weekend out, so I was curious as to who was using the training rooms at midday."

"Ah..."

The silence resumed, the four students staring up at the tall man in charge of Beacon. "Well, I suppose I'll take my leave. Have fun at Forever Fall."

' _Wait, this is my chance_!'

"Bye professor!" Ruby called out as the headmaster walked away, his cane tapping on the ground at regular intervals. Weiss narrowed her eyes as he made his way around the corner. The moment he was out of sight, Weiss made a mad dash for the doorway. As she moved, she didn't hear a single 'clack' of his cane.

"Weiss? What are y-"

The heiress entered the hall, nearly stumbling as the headmaster hadn't moved an inch past the corner. Even weirder, he was _facing her_.

"Is there something you need Miss Schnee?"

He took a sip.

"No... It's nothing." The white haired girl's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Then if you'll excuse me..." The headmaster turned, walking slowly down the hall, his cane 'clacking' against the floor as usual.

Ruby came to stand beside Weiss. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

Weiss watched as the headmaster rounded the next corner, at the intersection of multiple hallways. After a brief moment, she moved, not hearing his cane.

Turning the corner, the headmaster was nowhere to be found.

"I _knew_ it."

"Knew what?"

Weiss practically froze up, looking over her shoulder. The headmaster stood at the entrance to the _other_ hallway, behind her.

The man raised his mug in a toast. "Enjoy your weekend, Miss Schnee." He took a sip, before ducking into a classroom.

" _Weiss_!"

The heiress turned back down the hallway with a frown. "Coming Ruby!"

* * *

 **Is Weiss getting any closer to finding out what's up with Ozpin? Who knows?**

 **I actually find it really hard to write JNPR or RWBY in their entirety - it's always so awkward to feel like I have to include everyone at once when really I only want to focus on a couple of the members of either team, but if I want to exclude them, it's a challenge to find a good reason for it. Cafeteria scenes would be the worst, because that's typically all eight members. To be fair, if you're sitting at a table with seven other people, you're not going to pay attention to each and every one of them, but _still_. **

**Before I can rant, I'll just _stop_. Let me know what you guys think in a review or PM. **

**See you next time!**


	14. Just A Few Ursai

**Hello all, good to see you again.**

 **No beating around the bush this morning. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

As she sat in the cafeteria, one student among many, watching two of her teammates bicker, Blake had to wonder exactly how she'd wound up in the situation she was in – not that it was a 'bad' thing. She'd had to deal with worse things before.

The girl grinned to herself. Living a majority of her life 'on the run', Blake was no stranger to hardship. In the early days of the White Fang, she'd spent more than her fair share of nights sleeping lightly, prepared to fight off aggressive humans at any moment despite the faction's pacifistic status. She'd spent more than a couple days having gone hungry, until the White Fang began acting out a bit more and the others began stealing food.

If she'd been told a year ago that she'd be attending Beacon Academy with a team of three other girls – one of them being the Schnee heiress – she wouldn't have believed it. Not for a second. Nor would she have believed that the only real difficulty she'd have had would have been the inability to scratch the ears wrapped up atop her head, which was something she almost did reflexively when she was younger.

It was just moments ago that she'd finished her breakfast, eating quickly, yet savoring it despite the argument occurring right next to her.

It wasn't even an argument, really.

"I keep telling you, Weiss..." Ruby argued, a fork-full of food in her mouth. "I don't think it will matter what type of rounds I use with Crescent Rose."

"If it won't _matter_ , then why are you so against buying from another manufacturer?"

If Blake could be honest, _this_ was one of the strangest 'altercations' her team had yet. Weiss and Ruby had been trying – and failing – to get their combination attack to work properly. Blake understood the theory behind it, and it would be extremely effective, but only if it worked. The two girls both had differing opinions on what was wrong.

Of course, it was human nature that neither Ruby nor Weiss wanted to admit it was an error on their part. Ruby figured there could be something done on Weiss' end to make it work, while Weiss herself turned her attention to the more 'mechanical' aspect of their combination, which Ruby had gotten extremely defensive about.

 _That_ was understandable at the least; Ruby loved her scythe to death, and Yang had mentioned that implying that there was something wrong with how it was performing was sure to get you an earful.

"I'm not _against_ it, but in the end a bullet is a bullet. It won't matter if I use a different 'type' of ammunition, never mind the brand-name." Ruby explained. "The rounds are still landing way too short of the target for changing ammunition to make that much of a difference, either."

Weiss grumbled lightly, finally conceding the point. "What do you think, Velvet?"

Blake turned her eyes to her fellow faunus, the girl suddenly on the spot.

"Eh? Oh. Well, I'm not sure why it wouldn't be working..."

The inclusion of Velvet into Weiss and Ruby's discussion brought another thought to Blake's mind: Why was the girl sitting with them – or better yet, why was the girl... another _faunus..._ being so friendly with Weiss?

It's not like it was a bad thing – if anything, a Schnee getting along with a faunus was supposed to be a miracle – but Blake just didn't understand _why_. Blake did know Velvet and her team had saved Weiss when she'd gone out into the Emerald Forest with the leader of JNPR, Jaune, but she didn't quite follow events to where they were now.

Perhaps what had her most... _annoyed_ , in a sense... was that Velvet had spent more time talking with Weiss than anyone else at their table, including Jaune, when his team was present.

It just didn't make any sense to her. It was possible Jaune knew something, considering his friendship with Weiss, but Blake didn't know the boy all that well. Her best bet would to be to ask Ruby if Jaune knew anything, but that was a longshot as well.

"I can't exactly have an opinion on it." Velvet concluded after a moment to think, breaking Blake's train of thought. "If the problem isn't the physics of it, then it would have to be the semblance end of the issue. Or the Dust. Dust can be really finicky."

Blake watched on as Weiss hummed, the heiress forced to agree with the second-year's opinion.

"Well..." The heiress began, checking her scroll. "I guess we're going to have to worry about this later. It's almost time for muster before our trip to Forever Fall."

"Oh, today's that day?" Velvet asked. "Do you know what you guys are doing yet? I hope it's more exciting than collecting _dirt_."

RWBY collectively cringed. Velvet had shared her opinion of her Forever Fall trip more in depth upon request, and it had sounded... well... _boring_. Aside from the Ursa they'd fought, the then first-year team had to make their own fun; Coco – the leader – had even broke down to the point where she sung something about how she 'had a jar of dirt' to try to get a smile out of her stoic partner.

Though Velvet carefully mentioned to never repeat the tale in her leader's presence.

"Yes, actually." Weiss nodded, which got Blake's attention. "I spoke with Professor Peach about it." It was no secret that the soft-spoken professor was the one who 'arranged' the field trip, even if it was Miss Goodwitch who was taking them out. "We're collecting sap. The professor even gave me hints."

"Hints?" Yang asked curiously, turning her attention away from her almost finished breakfast. As Blake had learned, not much distracted Yang from a good meal.

"I'll share when we get there, so I don't have to explain to JNPR too." RWBY's neighbors across the hall had eaten earlier, apparently wanting to make sure they were prepared for the trip.

"Speaking, shouldn't you guys be getting ready right about now?" Velvet commented, looking to her own scroll.

"Yeah." Ruby stood up, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Yang, you better hurry up. Weiss, you-" The girl's eyes widened. "Weiss, your _food._ "

Blake looked down at the heiress' tray, Weiss' meal nearly untouched.

Though the others might not have heard it, Weiss' stomach growled.

" _Shoot_." Weiss sighed, before she picked up her fork.

* * *

"I swear, Weiss. I've never – _never –_ seen anyone eat that fast." Yang commented for what must have been the fifth time during the hike towards the forest of Forever Fall. "And I'm usually the one who has to feed Zwei."

Weiss didn't bother to respond to Yang's ribbing, nor did she bother asking who 'Zwei' was, trying to ignore not just the blonde, but the pain in her chest. She could have easily packed something to deal with the indigestion back in their dorm, but since she'd taken the extra minute to finish her breakfast, they had to shave a minute off of their prep time in order to not be late for their ride to the outskirts of Vale. It also didn't help that she hadn't experienced the full effects of her folly until they'd already left.

In a sense, Weiss had her own upbringing to blame for her situation: Ruby had been able to perform the miraculous yet slightly disgusting feat of being able to talk while she ate, while the manners worked into Weiss' very soul meant she had to focus on either talking or eating.

Throughout her discussion with Ruby during breakfast, it wasn't hard to guess which she had chosen.

"Can we please stop talking about this?" Weiss requested, a hand over her chest as it burned. "It was a moment of weakness, and I'd prefer it if you would just forget about it."

"I mean, it's like it just _disappeared_." Ruby added in admiration – but the last thing Weiss wanted to be admired for is how she'd momentarily forgotten the concept of 'table-manners' in order to demolish her meal.

"So, what exactly happened?" Jaune asked, the boy and his team moving to walk astride RWBY, the blond likely only hearing the tail end of their conversation over the clinking of the jars in the box he was carrying.

"Nothing of note." Weiss was quick to dismiss.

"Yeah, what she said." Yang confirmed. The heiress was thankful that her teammates had 'sworn' themselves to secrecy regarding what had occurred, in that they'd restrict themselves to simple teasing at the worst.

The last thing she wanted was Jaune or Pyrrha hearing that she'd done something so embarrassing.

"The leaves are starting to change color." Ren pointed out to the others. Weiss had been so preoccupied with her own issues, she hadn't had much time to enjoy the scenery since they'd been dropped off on the outskirts of northern Vale.

"They are." Pyrrha commented in wonder.

At first, Weiss wasn't all that impressed, a few orange and red leaves among the healthy green of the forest's trees. As they walked further into the forest, however, it was almost as if weeks had passed, then months, until they were surrounded by rusty shades of red, some leaves deep orange, some a dull yellow.

It really was incredible. The academic in Weiss wanted to know the 'why' almost instantly, but she also knew this was just something that couldn't just be explained. Forever Fall had been the way it was for centuries, apparently, and no one knew exactly why; much like the constantly shifting Glacier Cliffs in western Atlas.

That it 'couldn't be explained' was just Weiss' excuse though. In all honesty, the heiress was just too lost in the beauty to care about the why. She wanted to believe that there was no reason, as illogical as that sounded.

"Now then, class, remember, the forest of Forever Fall is as dangerous as it is beautiful." Professor Goodwitch commented as she led the group to a small clearing. "As you may already know, Professor Peach has asked that we recover samples from some of the trees here in the forest, in the form of sap for chemical testing. Each team will need to collect at least four jars worth of sap for full credit during this trip, but any extra samples you collect would be appreciated."

Weiss listened to the professors instructions carefully, despite already knowing what she had to do upon asking Professor Peach herself what to do back at Beacon.

"We will meet back here at four o'clock. It should not take you very long to obtain your samples, so whatever you do in your free time is up to you." Goodwitch cracked a rare smile as many students expressed their excitement. "Enjoy yourselves, but be on your guard. I will be here if any real threat presents itself."

Goodwitch didn't say anything after that, and a couple students stepped forward to ask questions. Whoever had been carrying jars – including Jaune – placed the boxes on the forest floor close to where the professor stood.

After a moment, both teams RWBY and JNPR gathered in a group, each with a jar – or two – in hand.

"So, Weiss." Pyrrha started. "You said you talked to Professor Peach and she gave you more detailed instructions?"

Weiss nodded in response, recalling the discussion she had with the professor after one of her classes not long ago. "That's right. She said you could tell which trees were better specimens based on their dimensions, as well as various things such as their age or the pigment in their leaves. The sap you get from the tree when it's freshly tapped is the better quality, and she politely asked that we try not to take more than two jars worth from each tree, so to not do permanent damage."

"Wait, why didn't she just tell everyone this? Or have Goodwitch tell us?" Yang asked, definitely confused.

"In her exact words, she said: ' _I don't want to be too much of a bother_."

There was a collective sigh from every other member of the two teams. "Yeah... that sounds like her alright." Yang muttered.

"But at the same time, she told _me_ because _I_ asked, and she shared a little secret as well." Weiss didn't care much for the 'secret' herself, but she knew at least two people who would. "These trees have the better tasting sap."

"Count me in." Nora answered instantly. "Lets find one of these trees."

Ren groaned in response. "We're going to have to find _more than one_..."

Weiss nodded her agreement. With the way Ruby's eyes shone, they were going to have to find a whole lot of trees.

It sounded kind of odd, thinking that they'd have to find a lot of trees in a _forest_ of all places.

"Alright, team RWBY, let's move out!" Ruby called out, pointing into the woods.

Although Jaune didn't quite share the younger girl's enthusiasm, he still looked quite excited. "Weiss, can you show us what one of these trees look like? Then we'll have a good chance of spotting more."

Weiss smiled politely at her friend's request, knowing it was for his teammate's benefit. "Of course. Professor Peach said they were pretty uncommon though, so I hope we can find one quickly.

"Oh! Thanks Weiss!" Nora hopped around cheerfully, humming a tune.

The group of eight made their way into the woods, Ruby and Nora spearheading the expedition in what Weiss assumed was excitement. She hadn't intended to get the two so riled up, and she had no plans to taste the sap itself. She was more interested in getting the sap as quickly as possible, but if sap from better trees made better samples...

Ah, who was she kidding? She just wanted to impress Professor Peach by being the one to recover the best possible sample.

It was a little selfish of her, she knew... but if they found the perfect tree...

"What about this one, Weiss?" Ruby called out from ahead of the main group.

Weiss stepped closer, getting a good look at the tree. She was no expert like Professor Peach was, but the tree before her was as good a choice as any, nearly matching each of the professor's specifications. The only problem was...

"This one's already been tapped." Blake pointed out, a thin line of purple sap running down the bark. With how slowly the sap was moving, it wasn't like the tree had much else to give either.

"But it's a good tree, right Weiss?" Ruby asked, sampling the sap with her finger.

"Yeah. This is almost exactly what we're looking for. If we can find another like this, we should tap it."

Pyrrha stepped forward. It had looked like there had been something on her mind for the past couple minutes. "Say, I have an idea... why don't we split up into pairs? If we can only take two jars worth from one tree..."

"We'd have an easier time finding the trees if we split up." Ren nodded his agreement.

"It is a good idea." Weiss confirmed. "Okay then, I guess we'll go with-"

"Yang, would you mind pairing up with me?"

"Sure."

"I guess I'll stick with Nora. Someone needs to make sure she doesn't kill the entire forest."

"Hey Ruby, I have something I need to talk to you about. Mind if we pair up?"

It all occurred so quickly, Weiss didn't know exactly what happened. In just a few seconds, Yang and Pyrrha were heading one direction, Blake and Ruby in another, with Ren and Nora taking off deeper into the woods.

"So, a tree just like this, huh? Reckon we can find one?"

In her shock at everyone's sudden departure, she'd nearly forgotten that she hadn't exactly had a partner in mind, but she was still left with the best possible option.

"Of course we can." Weiss reassured smugly. "You're with me. We'll find a good tree in no time."

* * *

Cardin Winchester had not been having a good week.

The essays that had been assigned in various classes, the massive workload that had been backing up since he'd been given extra readings by Oobleck _and_ Port... he'd been wanting to relieve his stress for quite some time.

The thing was... he hadn't been able to enjoy himself the way he usually did. Not when his alternate relief started to sit at a table with people who even Cardin didn't want to mess with.

And especially now that his _main target_ refused to react to anything he did anymore.

Cardin grit his teeth, the grip on his jar full of sap tightening. The dumb blond _prick_... The entire week, anytime he tried anything – knocking the books out of the boys hands, tripping him when they passed each other in the halls... even giving the boy a swirly in the men's room during lunch break.

He'd simply sighed, and picked up the books. He'd yawned when he dusted himself off. At the most, Cardin got an irritated grumble when he'd dried his hair with some paper towels in the washroom.

The boy didn't care. And what was worse, the boy didn't. Fight. Back.

' _Coward_.' Cardin sneered.

"Cardin, what's with the extra jar of sap?"

The young man turned towards Dove, the boy _clearly_ not thinking, nor remembering what exactly they were doing crawling through the grass. " _Shh! Quiet you idiot._ "

" _Oh, right, sorry_." Dove whispered back. Cardin would have given him a light smack upside the head for his stupidity, but he couldn't.

Not without giving away his position to his intended target.

A few seconds later, Cardin took a deep breath, calming himself. " _Sorry, Dove... sorry guys_." He apologized to both Dove himself, and his other two teammates as well. He'd been lashing out uncontrollably without an outlet, and he just realized he'd been... a little more hostile towards his friends. " _I've had a rough week_."

" _We know, man._ " Cardin's partner, Russel responded, crawling forwards to put a hand on his leader's shoulder. " _That's why we're doing this, right_?"

Cardin nodded lightly, enough that Russel caught the action. The boy patted his shoulder once more. " _Come on, I think he's just ahead. I can hear him talking._ "

CRDL's leader nodded once more, using his free hand to push himself up lightly, peering just over the crest of the small ridge his team had been making their way up. Indeed, Russel had been right.

Standing all alone, silently tapping a tree, was Jaune Arc.

Why the boy was alone, Cardin couldn't know for sure. Perhaps his teammates had finally seen him for the worthless coward he was.

Cardin had always been a good throw – it had been a natural talent of his. Before he'd learned he would eventually inherit his father's mace, he'd considered using a set of javelins, or maybe even a rope dart. Of course, as he went through puberty and his form began to fill out, his father had put him through a rigorous training regimen to build muscle.

Once he learned what he could do with the mace... well... he had no reason to learn anything else.

But he still remembered how to throw.

Cardin rose to a crouch, now risking his discovery in favor of being able to move a little more smoothly. He drew his arm back, aiming square in the Arc's back.

He rose to his feet in one smooth motion, sending the jar full of sap flying.

As the jar impacted the back of Jaune's head, shattering, Cardin pumped a fist in victory.

"What the... _no_..."

Cardin let out a hefty chuckle, holding up a hand for a high five from someone – whoever responded.

"Well Jauney boy, how's it going over there? You look to be in a rather sticky situation." Cardin called out tauntingly, his teammates chuckling at the non-blond, his hair matted with the purple sap.

" _Not_ good. That was quite possibly the _stupidest_ thing you've ever done Cardin."

The muscular student growled in response.

"What was that Jauney b-"

" ** _Cardin Winchester_**!"

Every muscle in Cardin's body seized up as the voice called his name. The blood in his vein's turned to ice, though his name had been spat out in hot anger.

It was then, that Cardin realized Jaune hadn't been alone.

Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, and someone who by all rights was on the top ten list of people not to piss off at Beacon Academy.

And there was a significant amount of purple on her white jacket.

" _I've had a very bad day,_ Cardin. I'm not the type of person to turn a blind eye to injustice... but even if I was, that would have been the _last_ _straw_. You've been bullying Jaune – my friend – here for well over a month, and another friend of mine for more than a couple weeks. The way I see it, you have three choices – you can try and run, and be frozen from the neck down for _fifteen_ hours after I catch you... you can buy me a new coat, which we both know you can't afford... or you can grovel like the dog you are, and apologize."

Cardin couldn't move – couldn't speak. When he _tried_ to speak, all he did was stammer uncontrollably. He looked to his left and right, seeing that his teammates had ducked back into the grass.

"Weiss, I think you're taking this a little too fa-"

The snow demon whirred on Jaune, staring him down. Cardin was able to relax just a little bit. "And _you_. How long were you going to let this go on? I figured you'd at least have grown a backbone at this point."

"Weiss, I-"

"Don't you dare say anything about your _pride_ , Jaune. If you'd just kick his ass already, we wouldn't be covered in this sap." The heiress turned back to Cardin, and the boy winced at her glare. "And yes, he _can_ kick your ass if he wanted to. Have you made your choice yet?"

Cardin opened his mouth but the words wouldn't come out. He was almost choking under the pressure, his legs threatening to buckle beneath him. But then he saw it.

"Ursa!" He called out, in control of his own functions again, pointing to the trees behind Weiss and Jaune.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for-"

"Weiss, dodge!"

The girl in white – and purple – realized Cardin hadn't been trying to distract her at Jaune's words, leaves scattering as she leapt away. The Ursa roared as it's prey moved further than it had already lumbered.

That was when Cardin noticed the Ursa, already massive for it's kind, wasn't alone.

Finally, a hand came up, dragging Cardin down and out of sight. "We need to get out of here!" His partner whispered shakily.

Cardin clenched and unclenched his fist, looking to Dove and Sky as well. Both of them were as terrified as Russel seemed. The leader of CRDL looked back, seeing both Jaune and the Schnee heiress take back to back defensive stances as more than just a few Ursa made their presence known.

...They weren't going to run?

' _And yes, he can kick your ass if he wanted to_.'

"You guys go ahead." Cardin finally said, after some time. "I'll... I'll step in to help them escape, if they need it."

"What? Are you crazy? We need to go!"

The mace wielder shook his head quickly. "No."

His teammates looked among each other, exchanging unspoken words. "Then we stay with you." Dove offered casually, though even Cardin was able to hear the fear in his voice.

"No." Cardin said again. He was a leader. "Dove, you go find Goodwitch. Tell her where we are. Russ, go find the rest of RWBY. Sky, same with JNPR. Okay?"

"But Cardin..."

"Go. Now!"

The three shared another glance, before turning and running.

Cardin took a deep breath, watching his teammates head in different directions. Goodwitch was the only one they were certain of the position of. He sent Dove to her, because he was the fastest. Russel and Sky were, believe it or not, the _loudest_ , and thus had a better chance of attracting the attention of either group.

But as Cardin turned to face the hoard of Ursa, closing in on their prey, the boy had no time to admire his own decision making skills. He wasn't going to wait to help them if he could.

Weiss Schnee was a good fighter. Cardin was certain she could handle an Ursa or two, but if she had to protect Jaune...

He didn't like the guy – not one bit. But he wasn't about to just watch him die.

He was going to help them _now._

"Raaagh!" Cardin roared, hopping off the small ridge, mace ready as he charged forwards. One of the Ursa turned towards the new threat, and he swung. The bone plate covering it's face shattered on impact, and it's skull quickly followed. The massive Grimm fell over in a heap, dissipating.

The issue was, that was the _smallest_ Ursa. At their kin's death, one of the _largest_ turned, bellowing as it moved forwards.

Then, Cardin realized: his kill had been an Ursa Minor.

The clearing had more than a couple Majors... including the one barreling down on him.

He was _screwed_.

Cardin backed up as quickly as he could, ready for a counter-strike the moment the Ursa would take a swing. The Ursa swung. Cardin swung.

On contact, the boy's arms burned, and his mace was torn from his grip. He grit his teeth, backing away cautiously, ready to dodge if he needed to.

The moment he felt the stone face of the ridge, however, he knew he was out of space. He had nowhere to go. Cardin kept his eyes on the Ursa Major, praying that his armor and his Aura would be enough to take the blow, and that a way out would open after the strike.

The Ursa raised it's paw.

It did not come down, a gleaming blade sticking through the bear-Grimm's chest. With a roar of effort from the other side of the hulking mass of black fur and bone, the blade was swept out the side, nearly ripping the Grimm in two.

As the beast dissipated, Cardin met the eyes of the one who'd saved him.

"Stay here Cardin." Jaune said in a tone that brokered no argument, pressing Cardin's mace back into his hands, still numb from trying to fend off the Major. "I can't watch your back too."

Cardin, for lack of a better term, was stunned. "Uhh."

Without wasting a second, Jaune charged back into the fray. Now that he got a good look at it, the fight was just as one-sided as he'd thought it would be... just the other way around.

Weiss Schnee moved fluidly, gracefully. She weaved through the Ursa, her rapier piercing the bony plate of both Major and Minor with ease. He'd always seen her as being a little more reliant on her Dust and her semblance in class, and that if you'd take those away, she'd be useless.

That was _before_ he saw her decapitate an Ursa with her rapier as easily as if she'd been using a weapon designed for such a brutal strike.

Jaune, however...

Jaune was knocking the Ursa around like flies.

Cardin couldn't believe it. His blade shimmered as he swung it, carving golden arcs as it passed straight through his enemies. When an Ursa would get too close, or manage to get an attack on the boy, he matched each strike with his shield, knocking the offending limb back before severing it from it's owner. He could hardly believe the boy was actually fighting – _winning_.

The way the boy's shield and sword glowed as he fought would forever be burned into Cardin's mind.

* * *

Jaune panted lightly, separating another Ursa's arm from it's body, before he stepped forward, shoving his shield into the beast's unprotected gut with a yell. The powerful shove sent the Ursa stumbling back, where the spikes jutting out behind it speared another Ursa who'd been unable to react.

Unfortunately, Jaune had to turn to block an incoming swipe, barely feeling anything as he pushed back against his assailant. The Ursa, put off balance, was an easy kill for him... Until Weiss hopped forward and shoved her blade up into it's throat.

"Hey, that was mine."

"I'm sorry, I've been having a _really_ rough day."

Jaune barked a short laugh, turning to his next assailant... only to find there was none.

The blond blinked once. Twice. He looked left, then right.

There were no Grimm in the clearing. Nothing at all, actually. There was only Weiss, her back pressed against his, and Cardin, leaning against a ridge, staring at him with wide eyes, though he refused to acknowledge him in favor of addressing the fact that there were _no Grimm_.

"Is that... _all_ of them...?" Weiss asked with the same uncertainty that Jaune felt. She took a step away from Jaune, and the boy instantly missed her presence at his back. Especially when they were still in danger.

But... It was... _confusing_. They _weren't_ in danger?

"That was it?" Jaune asked aloud.

"There's... _no more_ _Ursa_?" Weiss asked again, as if calling out to the forest to see if there were any left.

The forest was eerily quiet in it's response. Usually, the lack of sound would be unnerving, and a sign of an imminent Grimm attack. But after a fight like that, a silent forest was a good sign.

It meant everything was dead.

Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors, despite the uncomfortable feeling in his gut. He watched as Weiss returned her rapier to her hip, before meeting her eyes.

"That really _was_ it, wasn't it?" She asked him, as if wanting confirmation herself.

"I guess. I don't know" Jaune replied honestly. "Did you count?"

"I stopped after twenty. You?"

"You stole my thirty fourth."

Weiss hummed. "It feels like there should be more."

Jaune frowned, nodding sagely. "I know, right?"

A beat passed.

"…You still have sap in your hair." The girl stated, smiling ruefully.

"I do?" Jaune brought a hand to his head, and it came away sticky. "It should wash out though." The boy licked a finger, expecting it to be sweet.

He sputtered instantly, trying to rid himself of the awful taste in his mouth. "Ugh, where the hell did Cardin get his sap?"

' _Oh, right. Cardin_.' Jaune turned towards the bully.

Just as Jaune was about to take a step forward, Miss Goodwitch burst into the clearing, not looking winded at all, but having a couple small twigs in her hair, crop at the ready. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the clearing, her gaze not resting on Jaune, Weiss, or Cardin for any longer than a second.

With a sigh, the professor relaxed. "Mister Winchester... was sending your teammate to fetch for me some kind of prank?"

The bully looked taken aback. "No, ma'am."

Jaune turned to Cardin curiously, surprised the boy had actually sent for help. "You sent for help? Why?"

Cardin looked at Jaune as if he had grown a second head. "But... the _Ursa_."

"Yeah, it was only a few of them." Weiss stepped forward, nudging Jaune in the side slightly as she passed. Jaune got the message, and had to try to keep the smile from his face. "We handled it easily enough. You took one of them down yourself, didn't you?"

"...I, yeah, but..."

Goodwitch sighed. "Mister Winchester, I must commend your responsible decision, but if it was only a few Ursa, you taking one down yourself, I'm sure my assistance wasn't necessary – as it appears it wasn't." The professor stood up straighter, glancing at Weiss' stained jacket before turning her attention to the mess atop Jaune's head. "What happened to you two?"

Jaune looked towards Cardin quickly, the boy turning pale.

"I used my semblance when we tapped the tree to accelerate the flow of sap." Weiss lied. "It worked better than expected."

Goodwitch's lips were drawn tight, and for a second, Jaune thought she didn't buy Weiss' lie – even though Jaune didn't understand exactly why Weiss would lie about what happened in the first place.

She was still angry at Cardin, wasn't she?

"I... see. Do all three of you have your jars of sap then?"

"I D-do." Cardin stuttered, even as Weiss and Jaune held theirs up.

"Then the three of you should come with me back to the clearing. It's getting close to four." The professor turned, and walked back between the trees.

Before anyone else moved, Jaune watched as Cardin and Weiss stared at each other, looking back and forth between the two.

"You owe me... _three_ , Winchester." Weiss called out. "A Schnee always collects on their debts." The heiress then nodded her head in the direction of Goodwitch. Cardin began to move – carefully, as if he was trying not to disturb a sleeping Beowolf. Weiss stomped, and the boy took off running.

When the boy was out of sight, Weiss chuckled darkly. Jaune had just seen a side of Weiss he hadn't really seen before, even in training, and he secretly hoped he'd never have to see it ever again.

"Come on Jaune, let's go."

Following Goodwitch, it didn't take long for them to make their way to the clearing that had been their temporary base. Upon arriving, it looked to Jaune as if everyone was there – including the other members of CRDL, and the members of their own teams. Both rushed out to meet them as they entered the clearing.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked with concern. "Sky was screaming something about you, Weiss and Cardin being in trouble with a lot of Ursa. Yang and I found him, and asked him to take us to you, but we... got _lost_ , temporarily. We came back to camp, heard Goodwitch was on her way to help you guys, and-"

Jaune held his hands up in defense. "Slow down, Pyr. We're fine."

The girl's eyes trailed up to the top of his head... where the sap still matted his hair. "You're fine?"

"I'm fine."

His partner smiled. "Good."

Jaune looked over to Ren and Nora. "We heard the same from Russel, though he already had Ruby and Blake with him."

"I'm okay you guys, it was just a few Ursa."

"A few?" Ren asked curiously. "Russel said different."

Jaune opened his mouth, and then he hesitated. "Yeah, a few." He said, finally settling on his answer.

The blond looked over, seeing that Weiss was getting the same treatment, Ruby practically hugging Weiss – though it looked like she didn't want to get any sap on herself either.

"Oh man, that was _so_ boring." Yang whined as she walked over. "At least you got to fight something. Pyrrha shot anything that came even close to us."

"...Were we not supposed to defend ourselves Yang? And it was just two Beowolves."

' _Only two_?' Jaune wondered.

"Nora had to take down a Boarbatusk. That was all the fighting we did." Ren contributed.

' _One Boarbatusk_?'

"Ruby told me that she and Blake fought some Ursa as well, but only a couple of them." Yang added.

…

…Were he and Weiss the only ones who'd fought so many?

"But you know, considering we were warned at just how dangerous the forest was supposed to be, I was expecting a little more."

' _A little more_...' Jaune pondered Yang's words. If Yang and everyone else had only fought _five_ Grimm in total, why had he and Weiss been forced to take on over fifty Ursa - _five_ being Majors?

"Still..." Yang leaned forward. "I want to know what happened with the sap there, you two. It looks like you had a little fun."

Jaune sighed in response.

"You don't want to know."

* * *

 **A pretty rough ending to a rather good chapter. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure where to close this one off, but here it is.**

 **And now even Jaune has a mystery to solve: He doesn't know that the sap attracts Ursa (apparently), but that's no reason for there to have been over fifty in the clearing, is there? I'll let you guys figure that one out.**

 **If anyone is confused as to why Jaune and Weiss kicked so much ass, consider this: In the Emerald Forest, they fought over a hundred Beowolves, some of them (20) Alphas. Ursa are stronger, but much slower. and there were only over fifty - with five Majors. I think that would be an easier fight, hence their reaction.**

 **Anyways: Questions, comments, concerns? Drop a Review or a PM; I'm always happy to hear from you guys.**


	15. Progress

**Hey, nice to see you! How are you all doing? Here's another chapter of JaFP. I hope some of you - if not all of you - find it to your liking.**

 **Also: I have a Discord server set up for anyone who feels like talking about my stories, other fanfiction, or just RWBY in general. I'll talk about that more at the bottom.**

 **For now, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

* * *

Weiss took a calming breath, keeping Myrtenaster perfectly horizontal as she stepped back. She held form for but a moment, then took three rapid steps forward, thrusting.

Her rapier passed through empty air, but she smiled all the same, the tip not quivering as she held the pose for a second.

She pulled her arm back, twisting her wrist as she stabbed in another direction, spinning all the while so she would be prepared to strike yet again.

It was almost cathartic, dancing as freely as she did.

She kept her eyes closed as she spun, her blade's tip carving patterns through the air around her. She pulled the hilt close to her chest, to parry a blow that never came then lashed out, piercing the hide of a Beowulf that wasn't there.

It was nice to just _move_.

The heiress opened her eyes, vaulting over an imaginary enemy before her. Her feet touched the ground and she kept moving, weaving between her targets. Striking at every opportunity.

Weiss pulled back into her ready stance, stepping backwards.

Then she tripped.

" _Wah_!" The heiress put out her free hand, just barely managing to catch herself, then pushed herself up, her cheeks flushed red.

Looking up at her companion sitting nearby on a bench, Weiss let out a sigh of relief. Jaune hadn't seen her blunder, the boy watching something on his scroll again. Probably another of his recordings. She examined where she tripped. There was nothing on the floor that would have made her stumble, and she couldn't blame her heels; she practically lived in them.

Why had she fallen?

With a sigh, Weiss checked the time. "We should get going." She called out, returning Myrtenaster to her hip as she walked towards him.

"Huh? Oh, right." Jaune stood, shoving his scroll back into his pocket. "You all warmed up?"

Weiss nodded, rolling her shoulder. "If I'm called down, I'll be ready to go." She looked the boy up and down, the two of them already dressed for Goodwitch's class. "You?"

Jaune smiled lightly in return. "A little tense, I won't lie, but... I'm ready."

"Good."

Weiss took the lead, Jaune following her out the exit and down the halls towards their destination. When she noticed the boy wasn't walking beside her, she looked back at him.

Jaune stared forward, his eyes tilted downwards slightly, watching where his feet took him. She looked lower, seeing his fingers twitching in anticipation. Weiss was sure if she stopped dead in her tracks, the boy would simply collide with her. That, or he would move out of the way.

The heiress smiled deviously, halting midstep.

Still not paying attention, Jaune leaned to the side as he stepped around Weiss with a finesse that would have looked unusual to her, had Weiss not been the one training him for nearly a month.

The boy looked up, glancing around before finally turning back to Weiss.

"What's wrong?" He asked innocently.

Weiss giggled. He didn't even know what he just did.

"Nothing." Weiss reassured, walking in step with Jaune.

Seeing the boy's brow furrowed as they walked next to each other was even more hilarious. Had he really been that deep in thought he hadn't noticed himself moving around her so fluidly?

"I hope Goodwitch calls on you today." Weiss commented after they made their way through a couple of empty hallways, getting a nod out of her training partner. "It would be a shame if we had you take today off as well just to not have a match at all."

" _Mhmm_." Jaune agreed, though his lack of any real response betrayed something Weiss should have noticed earlier.

Jaune was nervous.

"It's been awhile since you last fought..." Weiss recalled. "Who was it? Cardin?"

"Yeah." Jaune answered. "I haven't had a match since the Emerald Forest."

Weiss blinked as they rounded the last corner. Had it really been that long?

"Well, you'll do a lot better than your last showing, that's for sure."

"You think?" Jaune asked seriously, pausing before the open door to the hall where their practice bouts were held.

Weiss didn't bother responding, pushing past Jaune as she made her way into the room.

"Over here, Weiss! Jaune!" Ruby called out, waving. Weiss scoffed, unsure why her leader felt the need to do so; they already knew where they were sitting, courtesy of a message from Yang earlier. It was why they'd gone to the second floor entrance in the first place.

Weiss took her spot, and Jaune shuffled to his. Pyrrha looked like she was about to say something to her leader, but the boy shook his head before the girl could open her mouth.

"Morning Weiss." Blake acknowledged, leaning forwards with a slight smile. Why she seemed so pleased was anyone's guess.

" _Morning_..." Weiss returned, suppressing a yawn. She'd forgotten to get coffee for herself and Jaune after she left the dorm when she woke up, and she was definitely feeling the effects of its absence.

The heiress pulled out her scroll. They were on time... where was Miss Goodwitch? Weiss looked around, not seeing their professor anywhere in sight

It was only one or two things out of place that caught the girl's eye at first, but slowly, Weiss realized a number of things: They'd gotten gallery seating; Ruby had called out to her, as if Weiss wouldn't have been able to find her; and there were an abnormally high number of students present, some of them vaguely familiar...

"Hey Weiss."

The heiress looked over her shoulder, seeing a rabbit faunus sitting behind her with a smile.

"Velvet?"

"Hi." The girl sat back in her seat, and Weiss noticed she wasn't alone. Her partner was there too, the taller Yatsuhashi giving her a polite wave, before returning to a conversation with a second year the heiress didn't recognize.

"Why are you here?" Weiss asked as politely as she could, though she already had a good idea.

"Us second years have mission assignments later today, so we're excused from classes today." Velvet explained, looking around at the substantial crowd. "I'm surprised so many of us came to watch you first years though."

Weiss stared at her friend blankly. "Huh."

For a brief moment, Weiss panicked, turning around to look at Jaune.

The boy either didn't hear, or didn't care. He was staring dead ahead at the arena floor, tapping his foot to an imaginary beat.

The heiress took a breath to calm her nerves. Why was _she_ the one who was worried?

"Something the matter?"

Weiss turned back to Velvet, the girl's eyebrows slanted with concern.

"Oh, no, nothing." Weiss alleviated. "Just a thought."

Velvet nodded, leaning back into her chair.

The familiar sound of Professor Goodwitch's heels striking stone brought Weiss' attention back to front and center.

"I apologize for the delay." Goodwitch explained, stopping in the center of the ring. "I see quite a number of second years have joined us today. Good to see you are all... _enjoying_ your free time, rather than studying or catching up on homework."

Weiss swore she heard a nervous cough from the girl behind her, but disregarded it in favor of checking up on Jaune.

Not even the mention of second years got anything out of him – unless a single blink counted as a reaction.

"Our first match of the day will be..." Even from all the way up in the gallery, Weiss could see the lack of expression on Goodwitch's face. "Mr. Winchester and Mr. Arc."

The heiress grimaced. ' _The first match_?' If she was in Jaune's shoes, that would have been a lot of pressure. Having not fought a match for the last two weeks, backing out of at least _four_ of them, fighting in front of what had to have been fifty more people than usual, _and_ the first match of the day to boot?

But Jaune just nodded and stood, making his way to the stairwell. As he passed Weiss, the heiress couldn't help but notice his fingers _weren't_ twitching, his hand resting atop the pommel of his sword.

That had been what she'd noticed, but she knew what would have been the first thing on anyone else's mind:

Jaune's silence.

The implication must have dawned on the rest of the first years, a few hushed whispers breaking out initially, the voices growing until there was a full-blown clamor.

" _Quiet_ _please_." Goodwitch's reaction was delayed; perhaps she'd been caught off guard as well?

After all, Jaune hadn't declined the match.

Even knowing _why_ the blond hadn't been fighting, she felt an odd sense of pride.

In the crowd around the 'outside' of the arena floor, Weiss saw Cardin move. The crowd, first and second years alike, parted for the large, armor-clad student.

Normally, the boy would be laughing and boasting, but like Jaune, Cardin was silent as he climbed up onto the stage. She'd neither seen nor talked to the leader of CRDL since the trip to Forever Fall, and that was probably a good thing. Also like Jaune, his silence was telling...

Weiss gathered Jaune's opponent would be taking him more seriously this time, especially after what he'd witnessed in Forever Fall.

Cardin was the first in position, his hands atop his mace as he rested it on the ground.

By the time Jaune made it to the bottom of the staircase, there was a path for him, the crowd split. Jaune didn't even acknowledge them, walking the same way he had in the halls earlier: eyes forward, and _focused_.

Perhaps Weiss was just being dramatic, but the two combatants were taking the match way more seriously than she'd originally thought.

"What's with the two of them?" Yang asked, someone finally speaking up about what was happening.

"Weiss?"

The heiress turned to Pyrrha's voice, only to find six pairs of eyes staring her down.

"What?" She asked uneasily.

" _Tell_." Ruby ordered.

Weiss would have protested, if it weren't for the five other heads nodding in agreement. Instead, the heiress scoffed, turning to look back out at the arena floor.

"Cardin fought..." Well, it wasn't a lie... "Cardin fought with us against the Grimm in Forever Fall, so he actually has a good idea of what to expect from Jaune now."

"Cardin did? That's surprising." Ren commented.

Weiss was certain they'd have pressed her for more – especially Pyrrha, the girl's stare more intense than the others – but they all settled down as Jaune and Cardin looked ready to start.

Goodwitch looked to Cardin, then back to Jaune, letting out a breath. "Are both combatants ready?"

' _Oh_ , _right_!' Weiss quickly pulled out her scroll, quickly loading up its camera function. If she'd forgotten to record Jaune's fight – especially when he'd explicitly asked for her to be the one to record them – it would have been bad.

Jaune drew his sword, holding his shield lax at his side, while Cardin brought his great mace up to his shoulder. Cardin nodded.

" _Ready_." Jaune stated certainly.

It sent a shiver up Weiss' spine.

"Alright..." Goodwitch took a couple of steps back, looking between the two once more.

" _Begin_!"

Contrary to the way Weiss had foreseen the fight starting, Jaune charged straight at Cardin, not even raising his shield in any approximation of defending himself.

' _Wait, what's he doing_?'

"Weiss, I thought you were training-"

Cardin, frowning, swung his mace down. Jaune turned into the attack, battering the mace aside with his shield. In the same fluid motion, Jaune brought his sword up, slashing at Cardin's arms, though the larger boy's armor did a good enough job of protecting him.

It happened in under a second, Jaune using his shield to push Cardin back before backing off himself and resetting.

"-never mind." Ruby finished.

The assault didn't count for anything, having barely left a mark on Cardin's Aura, but Weiss knew there was more where that came from.

It still didn't stop the heiress from wanting to shove her face into her hands.

Jaune had just wasted such a good opportunity. There was no way the boy could have ended the match there, no... but he could have done so much more damage than that.

The blond charged forward again, thrusting his blade with the intent of having more of an impact. Cardin was better prepared this time, steering Jaune's attack away with the haft of his mace as he stepped to the side.

"Get him, Jaune!" Nora cheered from down the row.

* * *

" _Get him, Jaune_!"

With his thrust turned away, Jaune followed his attack's momentum, rolling in the same direction as Cardin's deflection – just in time too, the floor beneath their feet shaking from the impact of Cardin's retaliation.

Despite how many holes Cardin had in his defense, it was hard for Jaune to break through even one of them: It was easy enough to see opportunity, but it was infinitely harder to exploit them.

His first attack, for example.

He'd gotten inside Cardin's guard, but he hadn't been able to capitalize on his chance, simply landing a glancing blow he doubted had any effect on his opponent's Aura.

Then again, that wasn't his smartest idea. If he'd approached normally, instead of trying to throw Cardin off his game by rushing in like that, he may have been better prepared for when that opening presented itself.

His thrust had been a half-effort as well, just probing how well Cardin would handle an attack like that. He'd been aiming for his midsection, the boy's armor not protecting that area probably to give him better mobility. Jaune was beginning to appreciate the situation he was in.

Despite his training with Weiss, Cardin was no pushover.

Killing Grimm was simple. You stab them in the right places, they die. You separate a limb, they either die or get easier to kill.

Jaune couldn't cut off Cardin's _limbs_ for an advantage. Nor was there a way for him to end the fight in one blow, like he had with numerous Beowolves in the Emerald Forest. He couldn't thrust straight through Cardin as if he was an Ursa – he had to whittle Cardin down until the match was called.

Back on his feet, Jaune raised his shield, angling it slightly.

He'd never noticed it before when he sparred with Weiss – or even during that one session with Yang – but fighting a person was so damn complicated.

As Jaune stepped towards Cardin, his opponent did the same. Just as Jaune was about to move in for an attack, Cardin did as well.

Jaune was forced to back down, bringing his shield forward. He couldn't go blow for blow against Cardin – even with his newfound competence, that would be suicide.

The mace struck, and Jaune held his ground, his joints bending with the effort it took to ward off the blow. It wasn't too bad, though-

Cardin struck _again_ , battering Jaune's shield to the side and leaving him wide open.

' _Crap_!'

Cardin spun around, bringing his mace in for a third strike.

Jaune didn't even try to get his shield back up in time – had he, the larger boy would have just crushed through it as he had so many times before. Trying to deflect or parry with his blade was out of the question as well.

The boy took the only option he saw, and stepped into Cardin's attack in an effort to take away his leverage.

The haft of Cardin's mace caught him in the best possible place - across the shoulder – though even with that Jaune was nearly knocked off balance by the force behind the strike. His form wasn't perfect, but Jaune angled the tip of his sword high and pushed in an effort to even the trade.

The strength behind Jaune's attack was enough to make Cardin back off. A quick glance to the arena's displays showed the results. Cardin's Aura was lower... percentage wise; Jaune had thus far gotten the worst of their exchanges.

He needed to fight aggressively, but he couldn't go blow for blow... what could he do?

Jaune raised his shield high once more, angling it like before.

Then he waited.

* * *

"Weiss..."

The heiress turned her head in the direction of Pyrrha's voice, her eyes still focused on keeping the match below in her scroll's view. "Yes?"

"Did you teach him to hold his shield like that?" Pyrrha asked. "How he's slanted it?"

Weiss shook her head. "No. That's all him."

" _Hmm_... I've seen one or two people do it before in tournament bouts, though those were all with a much lighter shield."

"And?" Weiss wondered where Pyrrha was going with this.

"Well, it just seems inefficient for his style. He's wasting a lot of energy holding it up that high, and that angle isn't good for blocking, especially against someone like Cardin."

Weiss nodded along with the girl's reasoning. "He'll hear that when he watches the recording."

Both fighters on the arena floor took a moment to recollect themselves, though Jaune was more rigid, waiting for Cardin to make a move. It wasn't what Weiss would have done, but she couldn't fault Jaune's decision; despite all his training, Jaune wasn't as agile as she was – Weiss doubted any amount of training could bring him up to her level.

But... Jaune was still quick enough that he shouldn't have had to rely on blocking, and his attacks had more weight behind them than Weiss' did. He was playing the long game.

While cautious, it was also a gamble: The longer the match would drag on, the closer Jaune would be to winning. However, if there were any more exchanges like the previous ones, Jaune would dip into the red well before Cardin would.

There was also the threat of Cardin ending the match suddenly with just a short series of blows. The force he put behind his mace was apparently nothing to laugh at, though Weiss had never been hit by him.

Cardin ran forwards, bringing his mace down in an overhead. Jaune sidestepped it, the crowd reacting with a murmur.

Clearly, a lot of them expected the match to already be over at this point.

The mace wielder pressed on, Jaune backing out of the range of all his attacks. To Weiss' surprise, Cardin kept a cool head.

Both of them were being overly careful. It made for a tense, yet underwhelming match.

Well, for Weiss anyways.

"He's doing _really_ good." Ruby noted with awe.

"Better than before, I admit, but they're both leaving so many openings." Pyrrha criticized.

Yang yawned. "Easy for you to say, Pyr. You'd probably beat them both at the same time."

"I'm not saying I wouldn't." The redhead admitted.

The heiress tuned out the commentary. There was something missing here...

Cardin had seen Jaune fight in Forever Fall... but even with that he was still being _way_ too cautious. He didn't overextend, never swinging his mace more than once during any offensive. The _thump_ of Cardin's mace was a steady rhythm as it kept hitting the ground where Jaune had once been.

The rhythm...

Weiss sighed. ' _Of course_.'

"Something up Weiss?"

The girl turned to her leader. "Jaune's been fighting at Cardin's pace, and he's not trying to force a change either."

Ruby blinked rapidly, not understanding. "What?"

"Since Jaune's first attack, he's been fighting at Cardin's pace. I don't think he's realized it." Weiss took a deep breath, watching Jaune back away from another attack. "He's had more than enough time to counter after Cardin's misses. I thought he was just playing it safe but..."

"He doesn't think he has the time to counterattack." Pyrrha finished. "That's why he's not going for those openings."

"Exactly."

"So... he can move faster than this but he's caught in a rhythm?" Ruby asked.

" _Exactly_." Weiss repeated.

"Well I hope he figures that out soon." Yang yawned again. "This is boring."

* * *

Jaune leapt back yet again as Cardin's mace crashed into the ground where he once stood.

' _I've got to do something_.'

Keeping an eye both on Cardin's chest as well as his wrists, Jaune took a step forward, before hastily taking another step back, the flanged metal passing through the air between them.

There was no time limit for the match, though Jaune had a feeling Goodwitch would call it if they took _too_ long to finish. Despite the fact that Jaune would technically win, it wouldn't feel like a victory to him.

That was why he needed to do something.

Cardin hadn't let up, and Jaune could tell it was taking a toll on his stamina, but on the off chance Jaune would have made a mistake or misstepped, even one solid hit would have been enough to put Cardin ahead, so the blond couldn't fault his opponent's strategy – if it could be called that.

Though if that was all Cardin was doing...

Jaune raised his shield, prepared to move the moment Cardin attacked again. If it was an overhead strike, he'd move closer for an attack. If it wasn't, he'd dodge again, like he had been.

Cardin raised his mace high, and Jaune stepped forward.

Then, Cardin dropped his right shoulder, swinging the mace around.

' _Shit_!'

Jaune held his shield close, but moment the two forces collided, Jaune was sent skidding back, his arm throbbing in pain. Taking a quick glance at his Aura level, Jaune saw he'd just hit the _yellow_.

He flexed his left hand experimentally as he prepared to dodge the next strike, his entire arm still tingling from the impact. He couldn't take another shot like that.

There wasn't another strike, however: Cardin hadn't followed up, the boy standing there looking confused of all things.

Had he not expected his blow to connect, or...?

The moment passed, and Cardin approached, brow furrowed. He raised his mace, and Jaune waited for the boy to begin his swing. Once Jaune was absolutely certain it was an overhand, he stepped within Cardin's guard, dragging Crocea Mors along his unarmored side as he passed.

Jaune's feet touched the ground, and the boy spun, realizing Cardin was slower on the recovery this time. He lunged, just managing to get the strike just below his chest plate.

Cardin brought his mace around in a sweeping motion, grunting with the effort. Jaune backed off, resetting.

' _That was better_.' He checked the Aura levels once again. ' _But_ _not enough_.'

"You've got this Jaune!"

The blond took a breath to calm himself, presenting his unguarded right side towards Cardin. In one fluid motion, his joints bent naturally: his shield was held the furthest away from Cardin, and his sword at his front, parallel to the ground at eye-level.

He hoped people didn't think he was making a mockery of Weiss' stance. If they did, well... This had all been to prove them wrong; to prove _everyone_ wrong. If he could win this...

He belonged.

Cardin charged forward, yelling with more emotion than the boy seemed to have had all match. He raised his weapon, and it began its descent the moment he stepped into range.

Jaune drew Crocea Mors back, twisting his shoulder as he extended his elbow. He stepped forward, leaving the point of his blade as far back as possible, before he swung fully, bringing the blade up to meet Cardin's mace.

Everything felt _right_.

There was a flash of light, and Cardin's mace was sent flying up in the air, the boy's grip failing him. Seeing his opportunity, Jaune stepped forwards, intent on finally ending the fight.

Intent on finally winning.

The buzzer sounded out, signaling the end of the fight just as Jaune pulled back for a lunge.

"That's the match." Goodwitch called out, as she stepped in from the side.

"What?" Jaune asked, Crocea Mors still poised to strike.

"Congratulations on your first win, Mr. Arc. It was quite the impressive... finish."

Jaune blinked once, then twice, before his muscles relaxed, looking over Goodwitch's shoulders at the displays.

Looking at his own meter, Jaune saw he was just in the yellow, like earlier, while Cardin's was significantly lower than earlier...

But Cardin was still in the green.

"But why call the match? And why am I the winner?" Jaune asked, his own curiosity not relenting: He'd _won_ , but why?

"Two reasons, Mr. Arc, but I suppose it could be considered just one. Your opponent would not be able to retrieve his weapon, with the way you completely and summarily disarmed him... and the protective barrier around the arena shattered."

…

"Come again?"

"The protective barrier around the arena shattered. I'm rather surprised myself." Goodwitch stated, looking down at her scroll before turning to Jaune's former opponent. "Mr. Winchester, you hesitated more than once during that fight – more experienced opponents would have had you down and out even half way in, understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And Mr. Arc..." Jaune's back straightened. "That was an incredible match for you, considering your previous efforts. Whatever you've been doing to train in your spare time, keep doing it. We'll make a capable huntsman out of you yet."

Cardin cleared his throat quietly, getting the attention of both the professor and Jaune.

"Yes, Mr. Winchester?"

For the first time ever, Cardin actually seemed slightly uncomfortable, glancing upwards. "Would you be able to... get my weapon down for me?"

The professor looked up. "Certainly."

Jaune looked up – _straight_ up. Hanging from the ceiling, one of its flanges stuck through the surface, was Cardin's mace.

' _What the hell just happened_?'

"Mr. Arc, again, well done. You may return to your seat. This will just take a moment, Mr. Winchester..."

Jaune nodded dumbly, still looking up at Cardin's mace. Once it was surrounded by a familiar purple glow, Jaune turned, practically jogging towards the stairs.

He'd _won_.

There had been no applause, no cheering, just stunned silence. No one congratulated him as he passed; everyone was still looking at just what he'd done, their heads tilted skyward.

He reached the top of the stairs, looking towards where his and Weiss' teams were sitting.

Everyone's eyes were on him – the only exception being Ren, who was watching as Cardin's mace floated down.

His gaze settled on Weiss, the girl standing there waiting for him with her arms crossed.

"Jaune..." Weiss started out coldly as he got closer, but the heiress did a _horrible_ job of hiding her excitement – she was practically hopping up and down. "What the _hell_ was that?"

Jaune smiled as the girl lost her composure, the reality of what happened dawning on him. "I _parried_ him!"

"You _did,_ but- _wow_."

The grin threatened to split his face as he ran forward, stopping in front of the girl who'd been training him for the past month. "I _won_!"

"You _won_!" Weiss leapt forward, Jaune nearly falling over as she wrapped him in an awkward hug. That Weiss was sharing his joy only multiplied the euphoric feeling that numbed Jaune's limbs as he put an arm around her shoulder.

Yang cat-called, bringing a blush to Jaune's face. "Hey now. Save his reward for later, Weiss-cream."

Jaune practically felt Weiss scoff as she turned away and out of Jaune's reach. "Am I not allowed to be happy?"

"Now, I didn't say that- _ow._ " Yang was cut off, her partner elbowing her in the side.

"Excellent work." Pyrrha called out, grinning from ear to ear.

"That thing you did at the end? _So cool_!" Ruby squealed.

' _At the end_?' She must have meant when he sent Cardin's mace flying.

"Good fight."

Jaune turned. "Yatsuhashi? And Velvet? What are you two doing here?"

"We came to watch some fights, along with the rest of the second years." The large boy stated, the girl sitting next to him nodding along. "For a first year match that was certainly... interesting."

"You really showed him." Velvet's grin was abnormally smug.

Jaune blinked, and the girl's smile returned to normal. "Thanks?"

"Now then, would Weiss Schnee and Lie Ren come to the floor?" Goodwitch called from below, her voice echoing around the room. "There will be a short delay while I repair the barrier, but the match will begin momentarily."

Ren and Weiss gave each other a respectful nod.

"Well, I guess we should head down there... and show-up Jaune?" Weiss offered with a grin.

Jaune sighed. "Are you seriously going to make a competition out of this?"

Ren ignored him completely. "It shouldn't be too hard."

" _Guys_..."

* * *

"All I'm saying is, if she hadn't used her semblance, you'd have won."

Jaune took a deep breath, pushing his empty tray forwards. Lunch had been delicious, and when he'd first dug in, Jaune just couldn't stop himself.

"Weiss' entire combat style revolves around her semblance." Pyrrha pointed out to Nora. "That'd be the same for her as not having a weapon."

' _Not really_.' Jaune disagreed but didn't say anything. The girl could easily fight without using her semblance, though definitely less effectively. He _did_ understand what Pyrrha meant though.

"It was a close fight either way." Jaune noted. It was an odd thing: When he'd first gotten to Beacon, he would have thought Weiss had absolutely dominated Ren. But now he could easily see the many times his teammate could have turned things around had Weiss not been on top of things.

Weiss had been in top form during her match today – it was hard to imagine anything short of Pyrrha stopping her.

Speaking of Weiss, Jaune hadn't seen her since Goodwitch's class. Apparently, as he'd been informed earlier, the second years didn't have classes for the day – something about them going out on missions?

Jaune had figured the cafeteria would be mostly empty – but it was actually the fullest he had ever seen it. JNPR had barely managed to find a place to sit for themselves, never mind securing four more spots for team RWBY.

The boy stood up slightly, just sticking his head high enough that he _might_ be able to spot either Yang or Weiss; Ruby – even with her cloak – was short enough he'd have a hard time finding her, and Blake blended in too well. After a moment of looking around, Jaune sat back down.

"Is something wrong, Jaune?"

"Hmm?" The blond turned to Pyrrha, the girl resting her chin in her hand as she poked at her food, looking up at him. "Oh, just looking for RWBY. I asked Weiss to record any fights I might be in, and I forgot to ask her earlier if she'd remembered."

"She did."

"Oh, that's good then."

His partner sat up straight, putting her fork down. "You know, I could have recorded your match for you, if you'd asked me."

"Ah, well, thanks." Jaune smiled at the girl's offer. "I just asked Weiss because I was with her when I thought about it."

"Well, I suppose that's a given; you do spend a lot of time with her, with your training and all."

Jaune nodded sagely. "Yeah, w-"

"Hey Pyrrha." Nora interrupted, leaning across the table. "You going to eat the rest of that?"

"No, actually. You can have it."

Jaune's scroll buzzed in his pocket. Curiously, he pulled it out, seeing he had a message.

From Ren? The leader of JNPR looked across the table, the boy's brightly colored eyes staring back. Jaune looked back down to his scroll.

 _Why not just message her and ask where she is_?

Jaune didn't know why Ren had to send that to him when they weren't any more than a few feet apart. But the boy just shrugged, sending Weiss the quick question.

A few moments later, he got a response:

 _We're just now_ _leaving the cafeteria._ _Do you_ _want to watch the recording of your fight together_?

Jaune smiled, sending back a quick affirmative.

Another response, again almost immediately:

 _Meet_ _me_ _in the training room_? _We can watch it before Oobleck's_.

 _Sure_ , he sent back.

Jaune turned towards his partner. "I'm going to go meet with Weiss before Oobleck's, so I'll see you in class?"

"That's fine with me."

Jaune then looked to both Ren and Nora, the pair smiling back at him. "And I'll see you two afterwards."

The boy then stood, making his way to the exit. He sidled past a group of second years who gave him a nod as he passed. Perhaps they'd seen his fight?

He hadn't known that many people had been watching – even before his name was called, he had been so focused, so...

Well, he'd won, hadn't he?

And that was why he was going to keep training with Weiss.

Not that he'd ever considered stopping or quitting, no, but it just cemented the fact that he wanted to keep improving. He still hadn't found his semblance, after all.

He wanted to be a huntsman, and he wasn't going to settle for anything less, whether he deserved to be at Beacon or not.

Jaune frowned at that thought, but shook it off as his feet carried him through Beacon's halls. He'd just won his first match in Goodwitch's class. He'd _won_. He deserved to be at Beacon, no matter how he got in.

* * *

Jaune slid open the door to the training room. It was completely empty except for Weiss, sitting on the same bench as usual.

"Hey." He called out as he walked towards her, though she had already been watching the door.

"I was expecting you to take longer."

"Ah." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "I was already done eating when I sent you that first message."

Weiss patted one hand on the bench next to her, pulling out her scroll with the other. "Come sit."

"You know, now that I think about it," Jaune began to ponder aloud as he sat. "Wouldn't it have been better to go to one of our dorms and use the holo-screen?"

"You're probably right." Weiss noted, looking for the footage. "You know, it really wasn't that great of a fight. It's the ending that I'm more interested in. I hadn't gotten a good look at what exactly happened, so..."

"Same." The blond agreed. "I didn't even know I could hit that hard."

Weiss' finger hovered over the thumbnail for what Jaune assumed was the recording of his match before she turned to face him. "You know, it _was_ your first victory."

"Yep." Jaune knew that better than anyone.

"So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go into Vale this weekend to celebrate?"

"Celebrate?" Jaune was a little taken aback. "For my victory? Why?"

"I just said why." Weiss sounded agitated. "It's your first victory at Beacon."

Jaune blinked owlishly at the girl, considering. "It's not that big a dea-"

The heiress stared back at him assertively. " _I_ am offering to take _you_ to Vale, to celebrate _your_ victory. Yes or no?"

"Yes?"

"Good." Just like that, Weiss was back to 'normal'. "Would you like to meet up outside our dorm rooms at six in the morning?"

"That's... fine with me, yeah."

"Great." Weiss returned her attention to her scroll, loading up his match against Cardin.

" _Ready_." He heard himself say with conviction.

Goodwitch called the beginning of the match, and Jaune watched himself practically blur forward.

"Was I actually moving that fast?" Jaune questioned, as he watched himself first trade blows with Cardin, Ruby saying something Jaune didn't quite catch through the video.

"At first, yes. But after this exchange..." Weiss didn't finish her sentence, Jaune nodding as he watched.

Pyrrha's voice came through the scroll's speaker, accompanied by Weiss' own. The two discussed the way he held his shield, Jaune listening intently; he'd have to ask Pyrrha for a better explanation about that later, but he'd been holding his shield like that because it was easier to drop his arm to intercept a blow than it was for him to raise his shield up to catch one.

"So I got stuck in a rhythm, you say?"

"Yes, if you'd kept fighting at the same speed you typically spar with me at, you'd have ended the fight a lot earlier..." Weiss noted with a frown on her face. "I suppose I'm to blame for that."

Weiss' statement confused Jaune. "Why?"

"You've spent so long fighting at my pace, you haven't really fought with anyone _slower._ So when you did, you fell into a... habit, I guess you'd call it, fighting at Cardin's pace and not having had any experience changing said pace."

"Well, that's hardly your fault." Jaune assured. "I'm the one fighting. I thought something was wrong..."

Weiss hummed in response as Ruby called out ' _you've got this Jaune_!' in the recording. The boy himself watched as he settled into his own variant of Weiss' ready stance.

The heiress paused the video there. "You know, when I saw you take that stance I felt... proud."

"You did?"

" Well, pride is the best word I can think of right now, but, well... you saw how happy I was when you won."

Jaune grinned, clearing his throat before speaking in a higher pitched voice. _"Hey now. Save his reward for later, Weiss-cream."_

Weiss coughed harshly, glaring back in response. "Please, I don't need _two_ of her. Also – _way too convincing_."

The boy chuckled as Weiss resumed the recording.

It was the moment he won, Cardin running towards him, mace high. Jaune watched as he pulled Crocea Mors back, and swung it more fluidly than he'd ever imagined.

The blade glowed white-gold as it collided with Cardin's mace.

Jaune's skin tingled, even as Weiss slowly turned to look at him, the video paused. He stared back.

"What the hell did I just do?"

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch pushed through the door to the teacher's lounge, letting out a hefty sigh as she made her way to the lounge's sole coffee machine – something she rarely ever used, even when she was having a rough morning.

After a day like the one she'd just had, however, she felt like she simply _needed_ a cup to continue working at full capacity. She still had papers to mark, dossiers to revise, not to mention the various other duties that came with confirming assignment of the second years to their missions.

It was one of the busiest times of the year, barring the upcoming Vytal festival – which coincided with pretty well everything else that made her position at Beacon the most stressful thing anyone with a head on their shoulders could possibly imagine.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

The blonde deputy headmistress turned, smiling lightly at the man's offer. "It's just been a busy day, Peter. You know how they go sometimes."

"I can't imagine what it's like for you this time of year." The mustached man acknowledged, moving a piece across the board on the table in front of him. He looked up at the younger woman across from him, his facial hair pushed up as he smiled. "Check, _Miss Peach_."

"But-" The lab professor began to protest, before she scowled, moving her rook to take the piece that threatened to cost her the game.

Peter moved his only remaining knight, smile growing. "Checkmate."

The woman sighed. "This game is bullshit." Beacon's newest professor stood, stretching. Then she turned to give Glynda a light smile. "We all have those days – you just seem to have them a lot worse... and more often."

The blonde professor nodded her agreement, tipping back her mug as she sipped at the hot, bitter drink. If there's one thing that her colleagues could agree on, it's that she'd permanently been given the short straw on everything – and while they all felt a little guilty about her getting the majority of the workload, she honestly didn't mind.

The former Beacon student waved her over. "You come play against him. I'm tired of losing, and I wanna see him knocked down a peg."

Glynda shrugged, stepping towards the table. It was a thinly veiled attempt to get her to unwind a bit, but she didn't mind. "It's been awhile since I played chess."

Five moves later, she won.

Peter stared the board, looking absolutely stunned with his eyes wide open. Glynda's female colleague was curled up in a ball on the lounge's sofa, laughing herself silly.

The older man shook his head vigorously. "I'm surprised it took that long."

Glynda smiled victoriously, reaching up and letting her hair down out of her bun. "Another round?"

The next match lasted significantly longer, but only because both professors played more passively than the first match: Peter not wanting to lose too quickly, and Glynda actually wanting the match to last.

"There's something on your mind other than 'work', isn't there?"

"There usually is," she replied dryly, "But yes. Jaune Arc."

"Oh?" Peter didn't seem surprised.

"He didn't have anything pertaining to it on his transcripts, but he used his semblance today." She stated, looking around the board before her. "Some keep theirs hidden, like Miss Nikos _thinks_ she does, but when Siren's transcripts had no semblance listed at all, I just assumed he simply hadn't developed his yet. Especially after that little trip to the Emerald Forest nearly ended in disaster."

"Still haven't forgiven me for that, have you?"

"I'm still doing the paperwork." Glynda pointed out, Peter wincing in solidarity.

"What's so special about Jaune Arc, anyways?" Both Glynda and Peter turned to the only other professor in the room. "He seems rather average."

"Looks can be deceiving." Peter stated mysteriously, even as Glynda rolled her eyes.

Glynda took her eighth piece of the game, finishing her mug of coffee. "He's... _something_ else."

The blonde professor stared into the empty mug with narrowed eyes as Peter made his next move.

"Actually, there's something else that's been bothering me as well." Glynda admitted.

"That being?"

"Have either of you been drinking more coffee than usual?" She quizzed, looking between the two. "We've been running out awfully quickly compared to the last few semesters. Should I be ordering more?"

"No." Peter stated quickly. "I haven't been drinking much to begin with."

"Me either."

Glynda hummed. "I'll ask Ozpin about it then."

She moved her queen all the way across the board with a smile.

"Checkmate."

* * *

 **And... Done!**

 **So, I mentioned a Discord server in the top AN; If anyone is interested in joining, just PM me and I'll send you a link for it. I figured it would be a good idea to have a place for people to discuss my stories, and various other topics.**

 **With that aside, let me know what you guys think; whether you do it with a Review, a PM, or you feel like discussing it on Discord.**

 **See you next time!**


	16. Where There's Smoke

**My beta speaks for us both.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Our evil plans are all coming together_! _"_

* * *

Weiss hummed, watching Jaune's wrist with narrowed eyes as he brought his sword up, the point carving through the air. The blond stood there for a moment, panting, before he dropped his sword arm.

"Anything?" the boy wondered, resting his sword against his shoulder.

"Nothing." Weiss responded, rising from where she crouched.

"Damn."

"Do you mind doing it one more time?" Weiss asked. The boy nodded, pulling his blade into position. He then swung in an upwards arc, the blade shimmering in the light.

For a second, Weiss thought she saw what they'd been looking for, but that was just the sheen of the blade as it rose into the morning light. The two had decided to move their impromptu training session outdoors, enjoying the moderately cool morning before the sun had truly started rising.

Weiss scoffed. "Still nothing."

There was no doubt in Weiss' mind Jaune had used his semblance in his match against Cardin. The bright glow that had been caught in her recording was an obvious tell, but it wasn't just that: Jaune mentioned he'd felt something at that moment. He'd described it as a tug… everything feeling 'right.'

It sounded like a semblance, at the very least

"So, this is nothing like your semblance then?" Jaune seemed to ask out of nowhere.

"No," Weiss confirmed, "My semblance comes to me naturally. Yours seems like it needs a conscious trigger, something to... set it off."

The boy held his sword upright, looking at the metal. "I wish I knew what it was."

"I suppose it could be similar to Yang's." Jaune looked at her dumbly, Weiss realizing he probably didn't know what her teammate's semblance was, " _Right_ … Yang's semblance only activates under certain conditions instead of whenever she wants. Yours might work the same way."

"You think?"

Weiss just shrugged. "There's always the possibility. The recording doesn't show much; you should know better than anyone else what happened."

"Well…" the boy sheathed his sword. "We'll figure it out eventually. At least we have something."

"True." Weiss turned, knowing they wouldn't really make any progress on that end just by having Jaune swing his sword. Today wasn't meant to be a training day, either. The heiress looked back over her shoulder. "Shall we?"

The boy jogged to stand beside her, and the pair began to walk. "You still haven't really said what we're doing."

Weiss hummed, leading Jaune towards the airship docks. "We're going to Vale, and _you're_ going to enjoy the free time you have until I put you through the wringer again. You beat Cardin, but he's... well... _Cardin_."

She didn't really have to put it like that, but it was true. Cardin was far from Beacon's most skilled first year. Jaune beating him, while it was a milestone for him, wasn't something she herself was satisfied with.

Weiss would consider his training a success when he was able to fight on equal footing with her, or anyone else near her level. And that certainly wasn't Cardin Winchester, even if the leader of CRDL wasn't that bad of a fighter himself. He'd gotten into Beacon, after all.

And, now that Jaune had won, they were going to have to kick his training up a notch.

"There's also the fact that you now have a semblance. We're going to have to work extra hard to coax it out for you to understand it, so you'll need the rest."

"Great." Jaune sighed, Weiss knowing it wasn't in complaint, but compliance.

"Which is why you have today and tomorrow off." The heiress smiled. "Think of today as our celebration for you winning against Cardin, and tomorrow as the last day of relaxation you'll have for a while."

"Great..."

"We'll start with heading down to Vale, and work from there." Weiss confirmed, as the docks came into view.

She had to applaud her timing, as a Bullhead ferry just pulled in and landed as they approached. Weiss jogged ahead, hopping into the open bay door. She walked to the front of the tilt-jet, sticking her head in the open cabin door.

"Where ya headed?"

What Weiss had planned and what she'd told Jaune had been two different things.

"Central Vale, the landing pad closest to the Rigel Bridge." Weiss answered almost immediately.

"In a hurry?" The pilot asked next, flipping a couple switches.

"Not at all."

"Five minutes to take-off, then."

"Thanks." Weiss nodded, pulling her head back into the cargo hold. She turned, seeing Jaune step aboard. "Five minutes and we'll be off."

Jaune looked around the hold. "These things don't have seats?"

"No." Weiss reached up, grasping the railing bolted overhead. "Have you never ridden in a Bullhead before?"

"Just big airships." Jaune responded, patting at his pants pockets as if he was looking for something. Then he pulled a paper bag from his back pocket.

Weiss winced. She'd nearly forgotten why Yang didn't have a high opinion of the boy at first.

The girl frowned, staring at the boy's feet, before she looked up at his face, Jaune staring out the open bay door back at Beacon.

She'd nearly forgotten why she herself had an even worse opinion of Jaune at the beginning of the year.

Weiss drew her lips tight. She'd always wanted to ask Jaune about his earlier... _advances_... but she never did; mostly because she didn't want to hear what his explanation might be. She preferred to just let it lay, never having to think about it ever again, but it kept coming to the front of her mind: The moment she'd think the boy before her had always been the way he was, she'd recall one of his cheesy pick-up lines, or one of his utterly unnecessary compliments.

And there had been more than a couple during Beacon's first week. He was like an entirely different person back then.

The engines fired, and she saw Jaune stiffen, ready to bring the bag to his mouth. He did, and breathed heavily once.

Then, the Bullhead took off, tilting to the side as it turned.

It wasn't nearly as violent as Weiss had been expecting, but the reaction was as substantial as it was instantaneous. That the boy had somehow managed to stay on his feet while hanging from the overhead support with one hand, keeping the bag to his lips with the other, was quite impressive.

The Bullhead lurched, and the boy made a loud noise of discomfort, pulling the bag from his lips as he held it closed. The little bit of color around his lips made Weiss grimace.

"I should be good now." He explained.

"If you're sure..." Weiss agreed uncertainly.

"I'll be fine..."

* * *

Pyrrha yanked open the door, stepping out into the hall with a scowl. It took her but a second to cross the hallway, hammering her fist against the entrance to RWBY's dorm.

The redhead took a breath, trying to school her expression into something more calm; or at least something that wouldn't terrify whoever answered the door. She looked up and down the hall, no one around at such an early hour in the morning.

The door was pulled open, a mass of messy blonde hair stuck itself through the gap. Yang's lilac eyes were lidded dangerously.

"Hello," Pyrrha started with the best smile she could muster, the girl's eyes boring into her own. "Sorry if I'm disturbing you so early in the morning."

Yang blinked rapidly, before she pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "It's just early, is all..."

"Sorry." Pyrrha said again. "Have you seen Jaune?"

The blonde shook her head.

That had been the obvious answer, but Pyrrha pressed on. "Is Weiss here?"

Yang turned, looking back into the room. She met Pyrrha's eyes again, shaking her head with a yawn. "Wouldn't they be training together?"

Pyrrha held up a piece of paper. "Today's not on their schedule."

The blonde's eyes lingered on the page for a moment. "Huh..."

Returning the schedule to her pocket, Pyrrha sighed. "I guess I'll go check the training rooms then. Sorry to bother you."

Yang nodded slowly, yawning again. "If you find them, have Weiss message one of us."

"I will."

The door was closed, Yang probably returning to whatever morning routine Pyrrha had interrupted... assuming she hadn't woken her up outright. The redhead turned, walking briskly down the hall with her fists clenched.

The least her partner could have done was left a note. She didn't mind if Jaune was doing things with other people, but she just wanted to at least know where he was. As long as she _knew_ , it was perfectly fine.

' _Don't kid yourself_.'

Pyrrha clicked her tongue as she transitioned into a light jog.

Jaune had won against Cardin – an opponent he'd never won against before... Someone he'd struggled against. In their early fights, Pyrrha had figured it was just the match up between the two, Jaune unable to handle someone who utilized such powerful strikes that could so easily smack his shield aside.

That was at first, of course. After the first few matches of their time at Beacon, Pyrrha noticed things off with Jaune's style overall: His footwork was decent, but everything else, from ready stances to strikes to blocks had been poorly executed. Every match ended in defeat.

Not shortly after, he'd shown signs of improvement: More precise, dexterous strikes; efficient movement around the arena; parrying and deflecting blows that would have knocked him flat before. All of which Pyrrha now knew were the results of his training with Weiss.

It still bothered her immensely that he'd gone to the Schnee heiress before her or Ren... or even Nora. Jaune had given a good enough reason for doing so, Pyrrha recalling his words from the time they'd been in the infirmary, after he'd nearly died – another thing she _still_ wasn't really over.

Weiss had done a good job – an amazing job – but there were things she hadn't helped Jaune with. Things that were as familiar to Pyrrha as breathing.

Things she'd be more than happy to help him with if he'd just _ask_.

Approaching the sliding door of a training room, she slid it open. Empty. Beacon only had a few training rooms, but Pyrrha had never bothered sitting in on Jaune and Weiss' training before, so she didn't know which room they used.

She checked every room, jogging from door to door. Neither her partner nor Weiss were in a single one.

With a growl, Pyrrha slid the last door closed. If they'd gone out into the Emerald Forest again, or even Forever Fall, she wouldn't forgive them. The redhead pulled out her scroll, checking Jaune's Aura level.

Green, one-hundred percent.

Grumbling, Pyrrha stuffed the scroll back in her pocket, before smacking herself in the forehead and pulling the scroll back out to call Jaune.

The boy answered almost instantaneously, his smiling face popping up on the display.

"Hey Pyrrh-"

"Hey _yourself_! Where are you?"

The boy seemed to visibly distance himself from the screen. "Uhh... didn't I tell you? I'm in Vale with Weiss."

"Vale?" Pyrrha blinked, confusion replacing her irritation. "Why are you in Vale?"

"I could have sworn I told you Weiss and I were going into Vale today."

Pyrrha shook her head rapidly. She wouldn't have forgotten something like that. "I don't recall you saying _anything_ like that."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha nodded firmly. "I remember telling Ren, I was pretty sure I'd told you too."

"Don't worry about it." The redhead smiled as best she could in response. "It's fine."

' _It's not._ '

" _Is that Pyrrha_?"

"Oh, yeah." Jaune tilted the scroll, getting Weiss in view as the girl waved.

"Hi Pyrrha."

"Hello Weiss." Pyrrha greeted. "What are you two doing in Vale?"

"We went and got breakfast, and now we're going to do a little bit of sightseeing. Jaune said he knows a few places."

"That sounds nice." Pyrrha noted, recalling Jaune's local knowledge. "Oh, before I forget, Yang wants you to send her a message when you get a chance."

Weiss nodded. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Anyways..." The redhead nodded, Jaune centered in her screen once more. "I was just calling to make sure everything was okay. You weren't in the dorm, and I checked the training rooms, so I figured I'd call you to make sure you were alright."

"Yeah, that's fine. Could've sworn I told you, but that's my fault. I'm not sure when Weiss and I will be back at Beacon, but I'll give you a call later, alright?"

"Sure thing. I'll let you two... get back to it then?"

"Okay. Later."

"Bye."

" _Bye Pyrrha_!"

Pyrrha slid her scroll closed quickly, ending the call. The girl then leaned up against the wall, resting the back of her head against it as she stared up at the ceiling.

The girl lightly thumped her fist against the wall behind her, taking off back towards the dorms.

She was going to have to talk to Jaune. Alone.

* * *

"See something you like?"

Jaune hummed, looking from the storefront display to Weiss' eyes, the girl standing beside him. The blond had just been looking at the craftwork with a vague sense of interest. The designs were intricate, but the pieces were nothing he really needed. Where was he going to put something like that anyways?

"Not particularly." The boy stretched.

Weiss stared back at him with her eyes narrowed. "...you're just saying that because you don't want me to get you anything, aren't you?"

"I'm not." Jaune responded honestly. "There really is nothing catching my eye here... Besides, I said you _don't_ have to get me anything. You already paid for breakfast."

"That's not an excuse." Weiss argued, adjusting the position of a bag she was carrying – a bag Jaune had offered to carry prior.

They'd been shopping for nearly an hour, having spent even longer just walking and seeing the sights before then. Most notably, after getting breakfast at a small place in central Vale, they crossed the famous Rigel Bridge, Weiss wanting to take a couple of pictures.

Jaune was no expert photographer, but when she'd given him her scroll, the boy managed to get a few good pictures of Weiss standing on the bridge by herself. Weiss had even asked a passerby take a picture of them both together, though it had been more than a little awkward deciding how they were supposed to pose.

The boy's cheeks had been awfully red in the shot, not only in embarrassment, but also because his nerves started acting up, him having an arm around Weiss' waist, with her's resting on his opposite side.

Seeing the picture almost made him forget he'd thrown up in front of her maybe an hour earlier.

After that, they'd visited a few more landmarks, before Weiss recalled she needed one or two things from the market.

Which put the boy in his current situation.

"You really don't have to get me anyth-"

The girl scoffed loudly, cutting him off.

"Stop trying to play the gentleman."

"I- what?" Jaune responded, caught off guard. "I haven't been playing anything. There's really nothing I need."

"Okay... what about something you want then?"

Jaune sighed. "I can't think of anything."

"Then think harder." Weiss countered, before she turned and continued walking down the street, Jaune following her with a sigh.

When Weiss first offered to buy him something, he had indeed turned it down because it was the gentlemanly thing to do. After a minute or so, she'd managed to convince him to seriously look for something, though since then nothing had really caught his eye. There was nothing he needed, nor anything he really wanted, either.

Weiss had, however, found a few things for herself while they made their way through the markets that lined the north side of the Valean Bay. The few bags she carried held nothing of any real interest to Jaune, though he did recall her saying she'd gotten something for Ruby and for Blake, though she'd yet to get something for Yang.

The boy scratched his head, wondering whether he should get things his teammates might like, before he put that thought to the side. He didn't have much money to spend in the first place, with the only reason he was actively looking for something because Weiss had practically ordered him to.

It wasn't like he knew what his teammates would want, either – he didn't even know what _he_ wanted.

The two passed another bookstore, and Jaune realized there was something he _did_ want... but there was no way he was going to ask Weiss to get him the newest issue of X-Ray and Vav. Not a chance.

"Still haven't thought of anything?" Weiss asked.

"I, uh... no." Jaune answered hesitantly.

If the girl noticed his delayed answer, she didn't mention it. "Well then, what kind of things do you like?"

"Come again?"

"I'm thinking I might help you pick something out, but I don't really know exactly what you'd like." Weiss explained. "You already said you don't need any clothes..."

"That's right." Jaune confirmed. He had more than enough clothes back home. "If all else fails, I suppose I wouldn't mind a scarf or something for winter, but I'd prefer something more useful."

The girl stopped, raising an eyebrow. "Something useful?"

"Well, yeah. That's how it's always been for me. Whenever someone wants to get me something, I don't want anything I'm just going to put on a shelf and never touch. I want something I can use. A lot"

"That makes sense." Weiss noted. "Any suggestions?"

Jaune shook his head. "For my family, useful typically meant _food and clothes_. Hence why I don't need any of the latter."

"...I have something in mind." Weiss noted, pulling her scroll from her pocket.

"You have an idea?" Jaune wondered in amazement.

"I do, but we should keep browsing around here." She recommended. "I'll check to see if there's somewhere nearby we can look for what I'm thinking of."

"Fine by me."

* * *

"It'll just be a couple more blocks." Weiss stated, looking down at her scroll.

"Awesome." Jaune shifted the weight of one of the bags he was carrying, the many handles biting into his hands uncomfortably. After they'd hit up a couple more stores – Jaune carrying those bags simply because Weiss only had two hands – the heiress had finally passed the majority of her spoils off onto him so she could use the scroll to navigate. "You're sure this place will have what you're looking for?"

"It should." Weiss assured. "It's just up ahead. The next left."

The blond nodded, watching as Weiss put her scroll in the pouch around the back of her belt, before flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. Jaune's eyes settled on Weiss' pouch.

"Is it weird to wear a dress all day? To fight in one?" Jaune asked immediately, as the thought came to him.

"It's a combat skirt."

"A what?"

"A. Combat. Skirt."

"Oh, um... sorry."

The girl stared at him, unsatisfied with the answer. "And?"

It took a second for Jaune to realize she wanted him to continue. "I was just thinking how weird it would be to not have pockets. Your... _combat skirt_ doesn't have pockets, and... well... Sorry, it was a dumb question."

' _Why did I even ask that_?'

"It's not that dumb of a question." Weiss responded. "I'm used to wearing clothes like this. In the same way you're probably used to wearing pants all the time."

"Huh..." It had indeed been a long time since he'd worn anything but jeans or his uniform's dress pants.

"Just as a reminder... the technical term is _combat skirt_."

"I've got it." That actually sounded pretty cool. Well, sounded better than dress, anyways.

"I don't know how many times I've had to tell Yang tha-" Weiss cut herself off with a faint gasp as she rounded the corner.

"What?" Jaune asked her, before he rounded the corner himself and saw what she did.

It didn't take long for Jaune to put together what was before them: The pylons, the police tape... A crime scene. He'd stayed up late enough on Friday nights watching police dramas with his older sisters to be able to recognize one easily, and it didn't look much different than it had in fiction.

"What happened?" Jaune wondered, as he and Weiss approached the border of the tape.

"Looks like it must have been a robbery. The windows are broken in." Weiss noted with a frown. She leaned forward a little, trying to get a look inside the store. "...There've been a lot of robberies like this in Vale recently."

"That Torchwick guy, right?" Jaune offered, Weiss turning to look at him. "He's been all over the news."

"It's likely." Weiss admitted. "Wait, since when did you follow the news?"

"I don't, but who hasn't heard of the guy? Honestly, he- _wait_ , what are you doing?!"

The heiress, without even acknowledging Jaune or the cautionary warnings, lifted the police tape over her head and stepped into the restricted area.

" _Weiss_!" He called, yelling a whisper.

"What?" The girl called back.

"It's a crime scene, you can't just walk in!"

The heiress tilted her head, before she sighed, pointing up at the sign that displayed the store's name.

" _Star Dust_... a Dust shop, and one I'm certain is supplied by the Schnee Dust Company. It is my duty not only as a student of Beacon, but as the heiress to the SDC to find out what happened here." She seemed to stand up straighter. "This isn't the only robbery of a Dust distributor recently, and they haven't seemed to slow down at all... in fact, they've gotten more frequent. The police haven't found anything, and they're not exactly here for me to ask – but neither are they here to stop me either."

"But Weiss..." Jaune protested, looking back and forth down the line of yellow tape, before ducking under it hesitantly. "I thought we were going to shop somewhere."

"We were going to shop _here_."

The boy blinked, looking beyond the broken glass. "Oh."

What was she going to get him from a Dust shop of all places? Or was she just stopping here for herself on the way?

Glancing around, Weiss made her way to the door, pushing it open slowly. Jaune waited behind her, still laden with the girl's earlier purchases.

The bell that would have normally rang to announce their presence dinged lightly as they entered.

"The place is a mess." Weiss stated obviously. Most of the merchandise on the shelves was disturbed, but nothing really seemed to be missing except... "All the Dust is gone."

"I guess they just took what was worth more?" Jaune offered.

"No." Weiss denied, pointing behind the sales counter. "That, right there, on the shelf? It's a state-of-the-art compressor worth more than half of all the Dust that would have been in this store."

Jaune let out a low whistle. "With all that's missing, that's a lot."

"Quite." Weiss acknowledged. "It would have been less cumbersome to carry out that compressor, depending on how many robbers there were... and it had to be more than just one person, considering just how much is missing. They wouldn't have had the time."

The blond hummed, looking out the front window frames. The sun, still rising, shone over the buildings across the street.

"The robbery would have happened last night." Jaune deduced, feeling clever for thinking of that. "The shop wouldn't have been open early enough today, and there would still be officers around if it had just happened."

"You're right." Weiss acknowledged. "The police must have already gathered whatever evidence there was. We should go."

Jaune couldn't be out of the store quick enough. No one seemed to be nearby, but the boy still felt uncomfortable trespassing, even if they were Beacon students. The blond was actually surprised Weiss didn't seem to have any reservations about doing so.

"It's troubling..." The girl said, looking pensive as they walked away from the store, passing beneath the yellow tape.

"What is?"

"The robbery. It's not the first one, and their main target was the Dust..."

"What's really bothering you about this?" Jaune asked seriously.

"Aside from what's immediately obvious, these robberies cause more problems for the Schnee Dust Company than they do for the store owners – most of the damages and the loss of property is covered by insurance on that front. My family's company, however, has to replace the Dust. We're still paid in full, but exporting more than twice the amount of Dust we typically do all at once has its own share of problems."

Jaune just stared at Weiss as they walked. He didn't quite get what she was talking about, but she spoke like one of their professors at Beacon – with emphasis and authority – enough that she had his attention.

"There are contingencies for situations like this." Weiss continued. "I don't know any of the specifics, really, but replacing stolen Dust isn't that big of an issue, or an uncommon one. It's just how much needs replacing that's the problem."

"Sounds like a lot of work."

"It is." The heiress confirmed, very in her element at the moment. "There's the Dust that would be used in the shipping, filing reports, paying independent security contractors and Hunters to protect the shipment… it's a logistics problem."

"Wait, just one shipment?" Jaune asked, confused. "With so much Dust being moved, wouldn't there be more shipments?"

Weiss shook her head. "It's cheaper and more efficient to move all the Dust in one big shipment."

"Ah." Jaune acknowledged, before bringing a hand to his mouth to hide a yawn.

"The coffee wearing off already?"

"I suppose..." Jaune answered before, like a bolt of lightning on a clear day, inspiration struck. " _Weiss_."

"Yes?"

Long forgotten was the boy's reluctance to have the girl purchase something for him. "If you still feel up for buying me something, I have the perfect idea."

* * *

"This is absolute bullshit." Ruby looked over her shoulder, momentarily distracted from the card game her, Blake, and Pyrrha were playing. Yang was shouting expletives at the holoscreen once again – something that had been occurring so consistently, you could set your watch to it... if you had a watch.

Ruby's older sister turned to the boy sitting next to her. "There is no way you're that good at this game."

"It's because you're not blocking." Ren stated blandly.

"...You can block?"

"Why do you think I wasn't taking any damage?"

Ruby kept her giggle to herself, returning to the hand before her, and the cards in play. "Hmm... Did you take your turn?"

"Yes." Pyrrha stated. "It was the three of clubs."

"Pyrrha..." Ruby groaned, even as Blake shoved her face in her hands. "You're not supposed to tell us what card it was!"

Realizing her mistake, Pyrrha grimaced. "Sorry..."

"It's okay, it was a fresh game." Ruby explained, shuffling everyone's hands back into the deck with practiced ease. Shuffling cards quickly was actually something her dad taught her to do, hoping it would help her with controlling her semblance. Whether it had or not, Ruby still wasn't sure. "We'll just start again."

"Maybe we'll finish a game today." Blake stated. Ruby stared at her in disbelief. "...Sorry, that came out harsher than I intended."

"No, I understand." Pyrrha offered in response. "So I don't tell you the card I play?"

"Right." Ruby confirmed, dealing everyone a new hand, before putting the remaining cards aside. "You first, Blake."

The girl was about to put down a card immediately – like she had been doing – before she hesitated, looking towards the dorm room's entrance.

Ruby turned, hearing a faint beep, just as the door was pushed open. In strode Weiss, scroll in one hand and a shopping bag in the other.

"Hey Weiss!" Ruby called out, having not seen her partner since everyone had gone to sleep the previous night. "How was Vale?"

"Why is Nora sleeping on my bed?"

Ren was the one to respond. "It's better we don't ask questions, and just count our blessings."

The heiress just stood there, before Ruby heard Jaune murmur something from behind her, and Weiss moved forward in response.

In walked Jaune, laden with six more bags than Weiss, before he put them down and rubbed his hands together. He looked over to Nora's sleeping form, and shook his head lightly.

"Well, looks like Weiss had fun." Yang commented, her and Ren taking a quick break.

"We did." Weiss confirmed, putting the bag she'd been holding on the desk, before shedding her jacket and draping it over the chair. "Though there was..."

"Was what?" Blake prodded.

"We were supposed to stop by a Dust store." Jaune spoke, the first thing he'd said since he entered the room. "Well, we did, but it apparently had been robbed last night."

' _Wait, a robbery at a Dust store_?' "Torchwick?"

Everyone turned to look at Ruby. "We think it might have been." Weiss confirmed. "But _only_ the Dust was gone. Nothing else. We even checked inside the store."

"Inside the store?"

Weiss seemed caught off guard by Pyrrha's question, pausing to gather her thoughts before answering. "We took a quick look around, but that's not important. It can't be just Torchwick. I doubt one person could carry all that Dust."

"He did have a bunch of people with him when I fought him." Ruby contributed. "Guys in suits, sunglasses, and silly hats."

' _Still don't know why they wore sunglasses_...'

"Wait... you fought Torchwick?" Blake asked.

Ruby blinked, attempting to recalling the event in its entirety, and everything she'd learned afterwards. "I guess I never really told anyone? It's why I'm at Beacon two years early. He'd been robbing a Dust store then too... but all they'd wanted was-"

"The Dust?" Weiss interrupted.

"Yeah."

The heiress hummed, while the rest of the dorm's occupants were silent – Nora the exception, faintly snoring away in blissful ignorance.

"What are you thinking?" Jaune asked to break the silence, the question directed at Weiss.

"Ruby, come over here. I got you something."

The younger girl noticed Weiss seemed to ignore Jaune's question entirely, before she clued in on what she'd just said.

"Ohh, you didn't have to Weiss." Ruby cooed as she stood, walking over. "What is it?"

"I got you the new issue of that comic you like."

"Really?" Ruby almost hopped in place, waiting eagerly as Weiss pulled the booklet out of a bag. "Yes! Thank you!"

"Hey, when did you pick that up?" Jaune wondered, referring to Ruby's recently acquired treasure. She'd been wanting to read the most recent X-Ray and Vav, but hadn't had the time to go buy it.

"At the bookstore. You waited outside, remember? Speaking of which, I got something for you too, Blake."

"You did?" The girl sounded surprised.

"Yeah, I don't know if you've read it, but I got you a copy of ' _Third Crusade_ '."

"Oh... I... appreciate it...?" Blake walked over, taking the book in her hands gingerly, though it looked more like she held it at her arm's length. Maybe it just wasn't her kind of book?

"And Yang... this is for you." Weiss walked over, placing a bag on her lap.

"Oh, goodie." Yang reached into the bag, pulling out a red box, though Ruby couldn't see what was written on it. Her sister took a moment to read the label, before she shoved it back in the bag, blushing more furiously than Ruby had seen before. "Weiss, I think you gave me Jaune's bag."

"Oh?" Ruby's partner turned, walking over to take the bag from Yang. "My mistake."

Yang nodded, words apparently failing her. Ruby watched curiously as Weiss passed the bag to Jaune, before looking through the rest of the bags.

Jaune pulled the same box from its bag, narrowed his eyes, and then tilted his head.

"Oh, this is Jaune's right here." Weiss noted. "Wait, Yang what-"

"Stallion Port's extra large banana flavored- what?!"

Ruby tilted her head as everyone went deathly silent. Even Nora's snoring stopped.

The younger girl shrugged. "Sounds tasty, can I try one?"

"Ruby, no!" Everyone shouted, the girl flinching.

"Fine, geez."

"Wh-why do we even have these?!" Jaune shrieked, shoving the box back in the bag.

"There something you not telling us, Weiss-cream?" Yang asked, though she still seemed nervous, glancing at Jaune frequently. "I thought you preferred blueberries."

Weiss, on the other hand, was a red that put Ruby's own cloak to shame. "That _was_ your gift Yang, it was supposed to be a joke!"

"I'm going to go." Pyrrha noted, an incredibly deep red face of her own as she made her way to the door.

"Same" Ren called out, moving as agile as ever to follow the redhead. "Send Nora over when she wakes up."

' _Am I missing something_?'

With both Ren and Pyrrha gone, it was just RWBY, Jaune, and a sleeping Nora.

"I didn't do it." Jaune dropped the bag, following his teammates.

Ruby looked to Weiss, her partner still looking absolutely mortified. Yang stared at the bag on the floor, as still as a statue.

Nora snorted, rolling over in Weiss' bed.

Someone who had remained silent since whatever just happened had _happened_... walked towards the bag. Blake picked it up, pulling the box out, before reading it to herself, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe it. She looked around the room, meeting Yang and Weiss' eyes, but pointedly avoiding Ruby's.

"...What are we going to do with all these condoms?"

* * *

Weiss groaned, holding her scroll up in front of her face beneath the covers. Above her, and to her right, three girls slept soundly as she lay there, thumbing through menus.

After the little debacle earlier when her and Jaune returned – a practical joke gone horribly wrong, and the last time she'd ever attempt one – things had actually settled down, though Yang's teasing hadn't stopped until the blonde was snoozing.

Nora eventually woke up and left, not seeming to care that she was in Weiss' bed surrounded by people who weren't her teammates. Weiss still wanted to know the circumstances of her little nap, but she supposed in the long run it didn't really matter.

The girl hadn't drooled on her pillow, at least.

Eventually, Ruby retired to her bunk, and Blake fell asleep as well not long after. That left Weiss as the only member of RWBY awake, as well as the only one who probably wasn't going to be falling asleep any time soon.

Weiss flicked the page she was reading to the side, the holographic display flickering slightly as her scroll loaded another article.

" _Roman Torchwick Still At Large"_

She skimmed through it, moving to the next one.

" _Armed Robbery in Broad Daylight"_

That one she skipped entirely. She'd already read an article on the same robbery.

" _Dust Shortage in Vale! SDC Shipment to Suppress Rising Prices"_

Weiss read that one word for word. Typically, an ordinary shipment wouldn't garner much attention, but with the string of robberies – many more than she'd thought there had been – this was no ordinary shipment. It was practically headline news.

There was nothing about the time and place in the article, but Weiss knew that was easy enough to find out. She'd just have to make sure she remembered in the morning.

The girl yawned, rubbing at her eyes. The clock at the top of her scroll's display told her she'd been awake far longer than she'd intended, and that she'd make the call in the morning.

She needed to get to sleep, and she doubted her sister would appreciate being called in the middle of the night.

With that in mind, Weiss decided to flip through the pictures Jaune had taken. She'd gotten a look at them earlier, when they'd sat to take a short break on a bench, but there was one that had caught her eye.

She stared at it for a few moments before sliding the scroll closed and putting it on her nightstand.

Weiss was asleep in seconds.


	17. Breaking Point

**Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever else, and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"_ _I wonder if I might crave your momentary indulgence in order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation which has, over the years, become more or less established practice as we approach the terminal period of the year — calendar, of course, not financial — in fact, not to put too fine a point on it, Week Fifty-One — and submit to you, with all appropriate deference, for your consideration at a convenient juncture, a sincere and sanguine expectation — indeed confidence — indeed one might go so far as to say hope — that the aforementioned period may be, at the end of the day, when all relevant factors have been taken into consideration, susceptible to being deemed to be such as to merit a final verdict of having been by no means unsatisfactory in its overall outcome and, in the final analysis, to give grounds for being judged, on mature reflection, to have been conducive to generating a degree of gratification which will be seen in retrospect to have been significantly higher than the general average._ _"_

* * *

Weiss Schnee eased the door shut behind her, closing it with a soft click. She wasn't really sneaking out... she was just trying to leave quietly in an effort to not disturb her teammates. She was used to doing so when she'd leave for her training sessions with Jaune in the morning – but those were usually even earlier.

Being a Sunday, however, she'd be back in the dorm before anyone woke up, if she was lucky.

The heiress sighed, walking down the hall with a yawn. She retrieved her scroll from the pouch at her hip, checking the time again. Was it too early?

No. She was sure Winter would be awake, but would calling her so early be too forward? Should she try and call her directly, or the Atlas military? Was she back home, perhaps being on leave?

Weiss had to get to a terminal, deciding to cover all her bases. If Winter didn't pick up when Weiss tried to call her personal number, she'd need the terminal to call either back home or the Atlas military.

The girl pushed her way outside, grimacing as the stiff morning breeze hit her. The clouds covered the sky, with a break here or there the rising sun could be seen through. She strode forward, headed in the direction of the library.

Even after all the digging she'd done before she went to sleep the previous night, the heiress of the SDC had skimmed through a couple articles after she woke up. She didn't learn much more than what she'd known, but the journalists and reporters all seemed to agree on one thing:

Whoever had been robbing Vale's numerous Dust stores – whether it was Roman Torchwick, street gangs, or even the White Fang – they only took the Dust. Nothing else.

But why?

The heiress frowned as she opened the door to Beacon's library, stepping inside. She strode over to a terminal, and connected her scroll to the interface as she sat down. Skimming through her small contact list, she quickly found Winter's entry, and called her.

If her sister didn't pick up, then Weiss would have to call either the Atlas military or home.

She knew which one she'd try first.

Weiss' felt her lips turn up into a smile when she saw her sister's familiar face.

"Weiss?" Winter answered. "It's rather early for you to be calling. How are you?"

"Good morning!" Weiss greeted cheerfully. "I only woke up a little while ago. How have you been?"

"Well so far. I wasn't expecting you to call." Weiss' sister's eyes narrowed, as she leaned forwards. "Are you in Beacon's library?"

"Yes, I wanted to call from a terminal. I wasn't sure if you were going to pick up, so if I was going to have to call home..."

"I see." Winter nodded, knowing all too well what Weiss meant. "I received the letter you sent, but things have too been busy for me to respond yet."

"It's quite alright." Weiss noted, trying to get an idea of where her sister was from what she saw behind her. "You're in Atlas right now?"

"In the Academy itself, yes. General Ironwood asked that I help with getting teams prepared for the Vytal Festival."

"Oh!" Weiss' smile grew. "Does that mean you'll be coming to Vale?"

"Sadly, that's classified." Weiss smiled apologetically. "Being an Atlas Specialist has its drawbacks."

"Understandable." As quickly as it grew, Weiss' smile disappeared, remembering why she was calling Winter in the first place. "There's something I want to ask you – a few things, actually."

The girl's sister tilted her head in interest, her light smile quickly fading as her expression turned stone serious. "What is it?"

"You've heard about the robberies here in Vale, right? The Dust retailers?"

"The robberies where all they're stealing is the Dust?"

Weiss nodded, not surprised her sister knew about them. "I came across the aftermath of one of them. A friend of mine and I investigated, and we came to the conclusion that they were after the Dust for a reason – and it isn't to turn a profit."

"And?"

"There's a big shipment of Dust coming down from Atlas," Weiss continued, "the only problem is, the details of the shipment weren't revealed to the public..."

"You think it's going to be targeted regardless?"

"Precisely."

Winter hummed, looking away from the screen for a moment. "I don't know much about the shipment itself, aside from that it left weeks ago with more than enough Dust to resupply the stores that have been robbed. If it hasn't already arrived in Vale already, it soon will."

The Schnee heiress nodded along at her sister's words.

"It's a big shipment as well, so I'm certain it would have been sent by sea."

"By sea?" Weiss pondered. She remembered visiting the port on the north end of Forever Fall when she was younger. "So it will be coming into Vale by train?"

"Unlikely. The last time the SDC attempted to use the railways, an entire train full of Dust was stolen. Chances are it's going straight into Vale's docks."

Weiss winced, remembering how particularly steamed her father had been that day.

"You said it was a big shipment, right?" She asked. "So it'd have to be on a big ship..."

Winter tilted her head, unamused. "Really?"

Weiss blushed at her sister's teasing, but ignored it. "There's likely only a few docks in Vale that can harbor a ship of that size."

"I don't know where the shipment is supposed to be dropped off." Winter admitted. "But with that you should be able to find it – if that's what you're planning on doing _._ "

Weiss' face was as neutral as she could make it. "I didn't say that."

Winter smiled. "I'm sure if you checked with the people working at those docks, you'll be able to find out if they're expecting a shipment. But if you're not looking for the shipment itself, I suppose it wouldn't matter to you."

Weiss smiled as Winter gave her some hints, the way she always had when they'd been training. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Winter smiled back, before she looked up from her scroll. "I have to cut this short. I'll send you a letter back soon."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

"Farewell."

"Bye." The feed went dead, and Weiss pulled her scroll from the console. She didn't even consider calling back home, or the SDC offices. She already knew more than enough.

What should she do with that information, though?

She made her way out the building, noting the clouds had scattered for the most part, letting the sun shine down on the courtyard before her. Weiss took a deep breath in, then let it out, and started on her way back to the dorms.

Weiss' first order of business would be spending time with her team. Whether it was just eating breakfast or lunch with them, she knew she'd been neglecting them somewhat, so she felt the need to do something. Even if it meant getting roped into one of Ruby or Yang's silly games, she enjoyed being around her team – though she'd never admit it to them.

After that, it would be back to work. She'd need to head down to Vale for the second day in a row, but she didn't mind.

In fact, the only issue there was how Weiss didn't want to go by herself.

Ruby would get bored just walking from dock to dock, and so would Yang – the two sisters were more similar than they let on.

Maybe Blake? Weiss hadn't spent much time with her quiet teammate, and she would like to get to know her better. The heiress brought a hand to her chin in thought, standing outside the entrance to the dorms.

She couldn't ask Jaune, could she? The blond did know about the robberies already, and she wouldn't really have to explain to him what they were doing. That, and Weiss already knew he'd be good company.

He wouldn't mind.

The heiress shivered, pushing her way inside.

She'd ask him later.

* * *

Jaune stared lazily into his nearly empty bowl of soup, bringing a spoonful of broth to his lips.

"So Weiss..." Jaune glanced up at Yang, the blonde propping up her head with an arm. "What made you think buying me a box of condoms was a good prank?"

The boy, sitting alone with Weiss, Blake and Yang at a table in the cafeteria, had to keep himself from sputtering as his face flushed, remembering the previous day's debacle.

"It wouldhave been a good prank." Blake pointed out. "It just backfired horribly."

"Can we please just forget about it?" Weiss pleaded, her cheeks tinted red as well.

"We can't forget about it." Yang stated as if it was obvious. "What are we going to do with an entire box of extra large, banana-"

"Yang Xiao Long, don't you dare finish that sentence."

Jaune snorted in amusement, and quickly realized it had been the last thing he should have done, as it garnered the attention of the three girls present.

He felt more than saw Weiss' glare, not meeting her eyes as Yang smiled at him tauntingly. "Too big for you?"

"Xiao Long!" Weiss seethed.

"I w-wouldn't know." Jaune answered nervously, fidgeting in his seat.

"What do you mean you wouldn't know? You've never measured your d-"

"Okay, that's quite enough of that." Jaune's fellow blonde was cut off as Blake shoved a forkful of whatever Yang had been eating into the girl's mouth.

Jaune never paid much attention to the black-haired girl, but he was infinitely thankful for her presence at the moment.

"But seriously, do you think they might fit you?" She asked as Yang chewed, smiling smugly.

Just like that, the moment was gone. Jaune shoved his face in his hands.

"I can't believe you!" Weiss practically screeched.

"What? It's an honest question."

"Mhhmg-mhgmhh-hmm!"

"What was that?" Weiss asked dangerously as Jaune pulled his head back up, taking in a deep breath.

Yang swallowed her food. "I asked, what's this about you and Jaune going to Vale again today?"

Weiss glared at the girl. "That doesn't sound like what you... ugh, nevermind. I'll wait until everyone's here to tell you guys."

"Speaking of, it is weird they're not here yet." Jaune noted, glad the topic changed. He looked to the cafeteria's main entrance. "Does it really take that long to-ah, nevermind, there they are."

Everyone else who was sitting at the table turned, watching as the remaining members of the two teams made their way to line for food. Pyrrha's eyes met Jaune's and the boy waved, his partner returning the gesture with a smile.

Jaune watched on as the three members of his team and Ruby made their way through the line, patiently waiting as they joined him and the others with their lunch.

"Sorry we took so long." Pyrrha apologized as she took the open spot next to Jaune, Weiss sitting on his other side.

"What happened?" Blake asked. "You were just doing maintenance on your weapons, weren't you?"

"Eh, it's hard to explain." Ruby claimed, already starting to get to work on her meal. No one bothered pressing the issue, though Jaune was still curious.

The teams both just sat in relative silence as a minute or so passed. Everyone who just arrived was busy eating, and Blake struck up a conversation with Yang shortly after Ruby's vague response. The boy turned to Weiss, realizing the girl hadn't been doing anything herself.

"So when are we leaving?" He asked, in an attempt to kill the awkward silence.

"Hmm?" Jaune heard from behind him, Weiss looking over his shoulder without answering. The boy turned around, facing Pyrrha, who had paused with a forkful of salad held before her lips. "What was that?" She asked, before continuing to eat.

"Oh, Weiss and I are going back to Vale today."

Pyrrha visibly stopped chewing, before she continued after a moment, finally swallowing.

"Why?"

Ruby, Ren, and even Nora had stopped eating. Blake and Yang put their conversation on hold as well, the table in silence as they all waited for an explanation.

"You remember how we came across that Dust robbery?" Jaune started. Pyrrha just waited patiently for him to continue. "There's a big SDC shipment coming, and Weiss is worried it might be a target, so she wants to find where it's going to be dropped off and make sure it's secure."

"And she needs you to do that?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune tilted his head curiously. ' _What's that supposed to mean_?'

"I'm just wondering why you're going with her." Pyrrha reiterated.

"Because I want to."

Pyrrha blinked, and Jaune did the same in response.

He _wanted_ to.

Pyrrha sighed, returning to her meal. "If that's what you want, I won't stop you."

Jaune looked to the faces around the table for support. Nora frowned. Ren shrugged. Yang just smiled awkwardly. Blake's face was impassive. Ruby was leaned over her tray, lips pursed. And Weiss?

Weiss looked concerned, glancing at Pyrrha over Jaune's shoulder. "If you want to leave after we finish here, we should be back at a decent hour."

"Will it be safe?" Ruby asked, posing the question of Weiss.

"The shipment itself has its own security. We're just going to check up on it." Weiss confirmed.

Jaune looked around at the faces once more, but as he met the eyes of each, they all returned to what they'd been doing, though looking much less lively.

' _Am I missing something_?'

"That's fine with me." Jaune put his spoon down. "I'm done anyways."

He stood, stepping over the bench, offering Weiss his hand as support. The girl took it with a weak smile as she stepped over the bench herself.

The boy began to walk away, before he turned, Weiss passing him. "Hey, Pyrrha?"

His partner looked up at him, smiling politely – though he noticed something... a little off about it.

"What?"

"I'll call you later on once we find the place, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Jaune turned once more, walking quickly to catch up to Weiss.

"So, there's a couple places we should probably check first." The girl mentioned as Jaune fell in stride beside her, the two leaving the cafeteria. "I've already narrowed down our choices somewhat, but they're fairly spread out up and down the bay, so it might take some time to find the right place."

"How many different places are there?" There couldn't be that many.

"About five or six." Weiss said, eliciting a sigh of relief from Jaune. "However, there's also a good five of six kilometers between each."

Jaune winced. "That's what I didn't want to hear."

"Hey, at least it's a good opportunity to use the gift I gave you." Weiss suggested.

Jaune smiled as he turned to the girl. "You mean the gifts you got us?"

"That's what I meant. You left yours in my dorm after you bolted yesterday."

Jaune couldn't help himself. "Are we both talking about the condoms, or-"

Weiss smacked Jaune upside the head. "Idiot."

Jaune just chuckled. "Well, where are we going to fill them up?"

She smiled in response. "I have an idea."

* * *

"Are you alright Pyrrha?"

Blake was silent as the rest of the table turned to Nora and Pyrrha, the two members of JNPR sitting across from each other. The redheaded girl looked up from her tray of food, offering Nora a smile.

"I'm fine."

' _Bullshit_ ' was the first thing that came to Blake's mind – and she was sure it was the same for the others. Even Ruby looked doubtful.

Ruby was the first one to open her mouth after the long silence that followed.

"I... I don't think it's fair." She said.

Pyrrha stood in a hurry, pushing her mostly full tray forwards. "I'm going to go train."

No one moved to stop the Mistrali champion as she left.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Yang pondered, the five left at the table watching Pyrrha leave.

"She will be... but Jaune's not helping." Nora pointed out. Blake leaned forwards, seeing the typically energetic girl with a solemn expression.

"It's not like she's helping herself." Ren tacked on, turning towards Nora. "We all know Jaune's not exactly the most perceptive of individuals."

"That doesn't make it right."

Blake hummed. She herself had no reason to complain about Weiss being absent for long periods of time when she was with Jaune – but what was even weirder was how she really wouldn't have minded if her teammate didn't spend the time with the boy either.

Blake could actually tolerate Weiss. And it was _because_ of Jaune.

The black-haired girl looked over to Ruby, her leader glancing between Ren and Nora pensively. Blake had approached Ruby, asking her what she'd thought about Weiss now compared to the Weiss she'd known when they first met.

Jaune was the cause of the changes, there was no doubt about that. At least, that had been the conclusion she and Ruby reached when they'd been together collecting sap in Forever Fall. Ruby had outright stated she wasn't exactly happy with Weiss spending so much time with Jaune, being the heiress' partner, but she wasn't against it.

Ruby was happy that Weiss was happy.

Blake didn't want to call Pyrrha selfish, but the shoe fit.

"Tell me, is Pyrrha... I don't know, attracted to Jaune or something?" Yang asked, drawing wide-eyed stares from the rest of the table.

"I don't think so." Ren replied, as Nora narrowed her eyes at the boy. "She's just frustrated he doesn't spend as much time with his own partner as he does with someone from another team."

Blake nodded to herself. It was indeed the same with Ruby.

"The only reason I have an issue with it is because Jaune is our leader." Ren explained. "He's made the effort to spend more time with us, but..."

"It seems like he's spending even _more_ time with Weiss." Nora finished, the girl looking more serious than Blake had ever seen. "It gets to Pyrrha more than it does us, but that's what makes it so difficult."

Yang hummed. "That makes sense. None of us really mind with Weiss because, well, she's not our leader."

"But," Ruby spoke up, "if you'd like, we could try and convince her to spend more time with us."

"You'd do that?" Nora asked.

Blake turned her eyes back to her leader, trying to puzzle out what Ruby was thinking from her expression.

"If Pyrrha is like this because Jaune's spending more time with Weiss than he is with you guys, then I want to help." Ruby declared. "Pyrrha's one of my friends, same as Jaune and Weiss – but I don't like seeing friends hurt other friends. Nobody wants to see Pyrrha stand up, saying she's going to train, and leaving. Not when she doesn't _mean_ it."

Blake looked down at her empty tray, tempted to agree for the sake of agreeing, but knowing she just couldn't.

"But is that really worth it?" Blake pointed out.

Ruby frowned as she turned, silver eyes meeting her own. "What do you mean?"

"I can understand Pyrrha being frustrated at Jaune not spending time with you guys." Blake directed that towards Ren and Nora, the latter's lips pursed. "But if Jaune's spending time with Weiss, whether it's them training or them going out on the weekend, and he's happy _..._ is it right to change that?"

"He's our leader." Nora protested.

"But is he neglecting your team? Not showing up to team exercises?"

Nora and Ren shared a quick glance. "No..." Nora replied slowly.

"That's the extent of the responsibilities as team leader, right?" That question was directed to Ruby. The girl reluctantly nodded in response, Blake turning back to the two members of JNPR. "Then he's doing what he's supposed to."

"So you're saying if I were to spend more time with Pyrrha like how Jaune did with Weiss," Ruby offered, "you wouldn't mind?"

"Why would I?" Blake turned back to her leader, thinking carefully of her response. "If that was what you both wanted to do, I wouldn't stop you."

"So you wouldn't mind?"

"I do mind Weiss not spending much time with us-" Though for different reasons "-and I'm sure it's the same for the two of you concerning Jaune."

"It is." Ren confirmed.

"But if they enjoy spending time with each other, that's all that matters. To me, at least."

Just because Weiss was more tolerable than she used to be didn't mean Blake liked her, but the Schnee heiress' absence gave Blake more reading time. If Jaune wanted to spend his time with the spoiled girl, then that was fine with Blake.

"Has there been a single team practice Weiss hasn't shown up to?" Blake continued.

Ruby shook her head. "No..."

Blake let that settle in, but the orange haired hammer wielder of JNPR didn't.

"What about how he nearly died when he went training with Weiss a few weeks back?" Nora asked. "If we'd all been involved, that wouldn't have happened."

"You don't know that, and that was an official training trip." Blake pointed out.

"That he didn't take with his team." Nora stated. "As a leader, Jaune should be spending more time with us than anyone else. The bare minimum isn't enough."

"I didn't say it was." Blake sighed in frustration. "I'm saying what Jaune wants to do with his free time is his business. If you want him to spend more time with you, either as a team or to spend more time with his partner, then make the effort yourselves. Like Weiss does."

"How are we supposed to do that when Weiss is monopolizing his time already?"

Blake groaned, growing impatient with Nora's arguing. "Weiss has been actively reducing the amount of time she's spending with Jaune in the mornings. I've seen the schedule. You know, I don't even think you're really annoyed at him spending so little time with your team as much as you are at him spending time with _Weiss_."

Blake felt Yang nudge her in the side, but she ignored it.

Nora's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you dare try to pretend you're not offended by him wanting to spend time with someone else instead."

"Blake!" Yang whispered harshly from behind her.

The girl didn't turn to her partner, instead glaring at Nora as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I don't like you." Nora stated.

"Like I care. I was never pining for your acceptance in the first place." Blake countered bitterly. "Maybe it's your happy-go-lucky attitude and misguided optimism."

"Bitch."

Blake's eyes narrowed as she had to forcibly keep her faunus ears from going flat against her head.

"Nora!" Ren shouted, the tables around them going silent. "That's enough."

"Just calling it what it is." Nora stood abruptly, turning before walking away.

Blake tried to bore holes in the back of Nora's head as she walked away, but didn't get the satisfaction of the girl looking back towards the table. Ren sighed, and Blake turned her attention to the girl's partner.

"I apologize on her behalf." Ren stated, not to Blake, but in general. "If you'll excuse me, it's best I follow her."

As the boy stood to leave, Blake felt a hand clamp around her wrist and tug – _hard._

"Hey!"

"What the hell was that?" The blonde accused.

"I'm not wrong!" Blake protested, pulling her arm from her partner's grip.

"Maybe not," Yang stated, jabbing a finger in Blake's chest, "but you shouldn't have put it like... like _that_."

The girl glanced to the side in an attempt to avoid Yang's stare, only meeting the eyes of Ruby instead, wincing at her leader's stare.

Blake had never seen the girl more peeved.

"We need to talk."

* * *

"You think this will be the one?" Jaune pondered, his hands wrapped around his lukewarm thermos as he took a sip of the sweetened beverage inside.

"I certainly hope so." Weiss responded, approaching the gate. "It would be our luck. I'm still rather surprised the workers at the other docks didn't know anything about this shipment though."

Jaune watched on as the girl took a sip from her own thermos, identical to his own. The blond had to admit, he didn't expect her to buy them _matching_ thermoses, but it had been a gift to him, so he couldn't really complain – even if he felt he wanted to, which he didn't.

"Is it closed?" Jaune asked, leaning to the side as he peered between the iron-barred gate. The sun had set not long ago, and a few lights were all that lit up the yard.

"If it was..." Weiss started, pushing the gate open with a light creak. "They'd have locked up."

This was the fourth of six docks along the Valean bay the shipment could have possibly been delivered to. The previous three had been fairly spread out, so the two had spent more than they should have moving between them all. What would have been tiring for Jaune before he'd come to Beacon was now just a minor inconvenience in how long it took.

As Weiss walked through the gate's opening, Jaune glanced up at a sign not far from the entrance – the typical warning anyone would have expected to find.

"Is trespassing something you do often?" Jaune joked. "This is two days in a row."

"It doesn't seem like there's anyone around to report us, does it?"

Jaune chuckled nervously, following her through. "That also means there's probably no one around to ask, is there?"

Weiss sighed. "You have a point, although security should still be here, so we just have to find them."

"So we're trespassing _and_ looking for security?"

"Yes."

"Wait, didn't you say the shipment would have its own security?"

"I did... and they should be here if this is the place."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, but do you see them anywhere? This probably isn't the right one either." Weiss confirmed, approaching the door to the offices. The heiress tried the door, Jaune hearing it rattle as she tried to pull it open. She sighed. "It's locked."

"It's a push door."

"...shut up." The girl pushed the door open, the red tint on her face visible in the light coming from inside the building. "Hello?" She called out, stepping inside.

There was no answer, Weiss holding the door open as Jaune walked in. The boy spoke up himself. "Anyone here?"

Again there was no answer, the office dead quiet.

"I don't like it. The gate's unlocked, the offices are as well..." Weiss pondered aloud, the door closing behind her. She stepped forward into the office. "Lights are still on, but no-one's around?"

"What do you suppose we do?" Jaune poised.

Weiss looked around the empty office. Jaune followed her eyes, settling on the desk before her, a book open across it. "I'll check the ledger. Why don't you call Pyrrha? It's pretty late, and I'm sure she'd appreciate it, especially after what happened earlier today."

"Earlier today?" Jaune pondered, pulling his scroll from his jeans' pocket. "What do you mean?"

"I..." Weiss hesitated, before she shook her head rapidly. "Just call her, let her know what's going on – how we won't make it back until tomorrow morning."

Jaune blinked at Weiss' response, pulling the halves of his scroll apart. "That's right, I nearly forgot."

"To be fair, we didn't really think this through as well as we should have..." Weiss trailed off, Jaune watching her skim through the records. "We could have had our teams help, maybe have them check some of the cargo yards for us. All this walking has actually been quite tiresome. Whatever, it's too late now. Just call her."

"Alright." Jaune responded, quickly starting up a call with Pyrrha. "What am I supposed to tell her?"

"Just tell her we needed to rent a hotel room because the last flight back to Beacon left already."

"Right, because it's that easy." Jaune let out under his breath.

"Make sure you tell her we have two separate beds." Weiss reminded.

"But we haven't even rented the room yet."

"Tell her anyways." Weiss pressured. "And we _will_ have two separate beds."

"What if they don't have separate beds?"

"Then we'll get two separate rooms!"

"Alright, alright, I get it." Jaune placated, the scroll still ringing in his hand. "She hasn't answered yet..."

"Really? That's-oh, hey, I think I found it!"

Jaune turned towards Weiss, the surprise evident on the girl's face. "It's here?"

There was no doubt as to what she was referring to.

"The ledger says it is, but then... where's the security?"

The scroll in Jaune's hand buzzed once, and he looked down to it.

"Hi, this is Pyrrha. Leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can."

Jaune clicked his tongue in mild annoyance, not bothering to leave a message as he looked up at Weiss. "Want to check it out? I'll see if I can get a hold of Ren instead, let him know we found it."

"Let's go." Weiss agreed.

Jaune scrolled a little bit through his contacts, quickly finding Ren as he and Weiss made their way outside the offices. A faint hum hit his ears.

"What's that?" He asked, Weiss stopping to listen as well.

The hum grew louder, and more familiar.

A Bullhead – no, more than one, flew overhead, in the direction of the water. The sound of their engines dulled, but not because they'd gotten farther away, but because they had slowed... and they were landing.

Jaune looked down to his scroll, sure to switch it off speaker mode as he followed Weiss. The boy hit the call button.

He had a bad feeling.

' _Come on, come on... pick up_.' The scroll rang, the blond holding it to his ear as he stood flush against a large metal container, waiting patiently as Weiss stuck her head around the corner.

She pulled back, pulling her rapier from her waist as she scowled. "It's _them_."

"Them?" Jaune asked, nervous that the girl arming herself.

"The White Fang."

"Great _-_ wait, the White Fang? The terrorists?" Weiss nodded, prompting Jaune to look down at the hilt of Crocea Mors, thumbing the pommel as his scroll rang in his ear. He turned back to Weiss. "Don't-"

She was already gone.

Jaune bit back a yell, knowing he'd just give away his own position.

"You idiot!" He whispered harshly, not having a clue where the girl had gone. He looked left, then right – even up, to see if she'd climbed up atop the crate he was against.

"Ahhhh!" A man yelled from the other side of the crate, Jaune also hearing the familiar sound of ice forming and the more noticeable gunfire.

"Shit _._ " Jaune barked under his breath, shoving his scroll _into_ his pocket as he slid his arm through Crocea Mors' sheath, extending it into a shield as he drew the blade itself. He stuck his head around the corner, seeing Weiss dodging back and forth, fighting the faunus extremists.

Jaune saw one White Fang member rather close to himself level his firearm at the girl, and the boy dashed around the corner, planting his shield square in the terrorist's back as he pushed forward. The man tripped, and Jaune fell atop him, slamming his head into the ground with the momentum.

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief when the man's head didn't make a sickening crunch on impact. He'd had Aura.

The boy quickly raised his shield, catching the head of an axe of some kind on it. He batted it aside, bringing Crocea Mors around and hitting his assailant in the head with the flat of it, then stepping forwards and bashing their face with his shield.

The faunus fell, and Jaune turned, looking around the open area among the cargo containers and the currently immobile Bullhead.

Weiss met his eyes, and Jaune shook his head desperately. "What the hell, Weiss! Tell me the next time you-!"

"Why is it every single peon under my hire just so happens to be utterly incompetent? I swear, they should be paying _me_ instead."

Jaune turned towards the stationary Bullhead, Weiss doing the same as a man walked down the extended ramp. Wearing a white jacket and a bowler hat, the man tossed a cigar to the side as he crossed a cane over his back.

"At least these beasts are cheaper than the last bunch I hired, but you'd know about cheap animal labor better than I would."

"Roman Torchwick." Weiss spat. "So it _was_ you behind the robberies."

"Indeed it was." The man laughed, Jaune's grip tightening around Crocea Mors – it was unsettling how casually the man spoke, as if he hadn't just been caught with his hand in the jar. "At least I pursue what I obviously have talent for, unlike yourself. You should have stuck to singing and being daddy's little princess."

Jaune took a deep breath in as Weiss growled in response.

This man was no ordinary thief.

Torchwick turned towards Jaune, and the boy's breath hitched. The man tilted his head, before he shook it slowly, unblinking. "And here we have another pawn. Or perhaps he's a sheep?"

Jaune opened his mouth, then closed it. He took another breath.

"I'll be honest," the blond offered, his legs shaking a little beneath him, "I have no idea how to respond to that."

The thief shrugged, twirling his cane in hand. "Pre-fight banter isn't for everyone."

Jaune reflexively raised his shield at the criminal's words, Crocea Mors held behind him. The man's cane came up, and there was a brief flash and a high-pitched screech as he shot something towards Jaune. The blond braced, bringing up his shield a little higher to protect himself.

After the projectile impacted with a flash of red light and heat, Jaune felt his shield pulled away – the grip of Torchwick's cane hooked around the top of it. The man kicked Jaune in the chest, knocking him back as Weiss moved in to strike. Jaune stumbled, watching as Weiss began fighting the man.

Not a single thrust, slash, or stab made contact with the man, his cane a flurry as he spun and weaved. Weiss grunted as he hit her in the side with his cane, the man retreating as she attempted to counter attack. Jaune ran forwards, reaching out in a thrust, but Torchwick just pulled even further back, spinning around as he brought the end of his cane around in a sweep.

Jaune had just barely leaned back in time, feeling the thief's cane whip by his face with a burst of wind following behind it. Watching the man's chest, the blond recognized he needed to step back, bringing his shield up as the man jabbed towards him with the end of his weapon. There was a dull thud at the impact, and Jaune stepped forward, swinging his blade in an arc.

The strike was deflected easily, but Jaune was able to recover quickly using his own momentum, blocking the man's counter with the flat of Crocea Mors. The blond was pushed back, but Weiss came forward moving with a speed Jaune knew was only possible with her glyphs, hitting Torchwick in the center of his chest with her rapier.

The man was launched back, but remained upright as he skidded along the concrete. He rubbed his chest, laughing. "Oh, that one stung a little."

Jaune stepped forward to stand beside Weiss, when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He raised his shield, and a series of gunshots rang out. A few of the ones in the White Fang uniforms were firing at them, and Jaune made the effort to get between them and Weiss, blocking the hail of bullets.

"You handle them!" Weiss commanded, dashing out from behind Jaune's cover. The White Fang who had been shooting tried to target Weiss, and the moment Jaune felt no more bullets striking his shield, he moved.

* * *

"It's weird." Ren stated. "He called me, but the line was dead."

"And you tried calling him back?" Pyrrha asked, her scroll a lead weight in her pocket.

"I did, but there was no answer."

Pyrrha winced. Her skin prickled as she her imagination ran wild with what might have happened to her partner.

' _And I didn't pick up_.'

The championship fighter stood up from where she sat on her bed, pacing back and forth as she felt her breath quickening.

"It's pretty late." Nora called out, hugging her pillow close as she sat back against the wall behind her bed. The typically energetic girl had been in a bad mood when Pyrrha got back to the dorm, but she hadn't had time to ask Ren or the girl herself what was wrong. "Maybe he was just calling to say he was on his way back?"

"It's a possibility." Ren agreed, turning to Pyrrha. The girl met his eyes. "Jaune called you when you were in the shower, right?"

"Yes." She lied.

What would Ren and Nora think if they knew Jaune had actually called her after she got out? That she'd been able to answer, but just didn't want to?

Pyrrha bit her lip.

"So he called you, then he called me." Ren sighed. "He didn't call Nora, but he wasn't there when I answered, and he hasn't picked up..."

The boy stood, looking at his scroll with a frown. "I don't like it."

"You think he's in trouble too?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's the only expla-" Pyrrha's scroll vibrated, along with Ren's and apparently Nora's, given the girl's surprised jump.

"No..." Pyrrha whispered under her breath.

She pulled the display open, seeing exactly what she didn't want to as Ren spoke.

"Jaune." Pyrrha breathed out.

"Fifty percent, forty nine... and holding." Ren dashed to the door. "We need to tell someone."

Pyrrha was right behind Ren, not caring she was only dressed in her pajamas. After what happened with Weiss and Jaune before in the Emerald Forest, the entire team decided it would be prudent to have some sort of alarm system for when anyone's Aura dipped below half.

That alarm had just gone off, and the implications were unpleasant, considering what Jaune and Weiss were looking into.

Ren pulled the door open, and ran outside. At almost precisely the same moment, the door across the hall opened as well.

Pyrrha met Ruby's wide, fearful eyes as the girl stumbled out the door, and nodded. The red-clad girl took off, Pyrrha right on her tail.

Weiss was in trouble too – though Pyrrha had assumed that in the first place. It was just like when Jaune and Weiss had been training in the Emerald Forest.

Only this time, it wasn't a scheduled training trip Weiss and Jaune were on, supervised by a team of second years: her and Ruby's teams were the only ones who knew about this. They were the only ones who could help.

Pyrrha ran as fast as she could, nearly keeping pace with Ruby – until the girl made her way around a corner and took off at a speed Pyrrha knew she couldn't match. The redhead sprinted all the same, desperate to find someone who could help.

Eventually, Pyrrha had caught up to Ruby – something the redhead hadn't expected to do. The girl was just outside the door to the teacher's lounge, one hand on the doorknob as she hunched forwards, catching her breath.

Pyrrha didn't think she'd _ever_ seen the leader of RWBY out of breath. Despite the urgency of the situation, Pyrrha stopped next to her friend, putting a steadying hand on the girl's back. "Are you okay?"

Ruby nodded, turning the doorknob as she pushed her way inside.

Still gasping for breath, the shorter girl called out. "Please, we need help!"

The room's lone occupant turned, sipping from a white mug before speaking.

"What's the problem?"

* * *

Weiss backpedalled as she created a glyph across the palm of her right hand, holding it out to block a swing of Roman Torchwick's cane – a weapon that, despite its unassuming appearance, was moving faster and hitting harder than Myrtenaster.

The man pointed the cane at her feet a moment later, and Weiss jumped back, expecting one of the explosive rounds he'd used against Jaune to start the fight.

"What's the matter, ice queen?" Torchwick taunted, spinning his cane in hand, before resting on it. "I figured you'd put up a better fight."

The white haired girl scowled, glancing across the yard to where Jaune was fighting members of the White Fang in great number. A few of the Fang were sprawled out on the ground, moving gingerly or not at all, knocked out.

Jaune was having an easier time than she was, but there was no way he'd have been able to handle Torchwick.

A gunshot rang out, and Weiss instinctively raised her hand, just managing to create a glyph in time to block the bullet. It was taxing on her Aura to do so, but it was better than taking a direct hit.

The White Fang had people atop the cargo crates with rifles, and any time she'd stopped to take a breath, they'd remind her of their presence; but, if she moved to take care of them, she was certain Torchwick would turn his attention to Jaune.

The moment either one of them fell, the battle would be over.

The only thing was... they couldn't retreat. They couldn't regroup or strategize – their opponents wouldn't let them.

Torchwick and the White Fang were in complete control of the fight, and it was her fault for rushing in at the beginning.

Another rifle shot rang out, but that one Weiss dodged, hopping to the side. Torchwick was still standing in place, wearing a smug grin as if he was waiting for her to attack. The heiress dashed forwards, Myrtenaster held close in preparation for a lunge – but when she got close, she feinted, delaying her attack as Torchwick moved preemptively.

Just when Weiss thought the blow might connect, Torchwick knocked the blade aside, delivering a stiff elbow to Weiss' chest, knocking the girl back as she gasped for air. The girl brought a hand to her chest, clutching it. Her eyes came up just as Torchwick's cane hit her squarely in the side of the head.

The heiress stumbled at the impact as she tried to recover, but she wasn't quick enough. Her opponent swung low, catching the inside of her leg with a heavy blow, bringing Weiss down to one knee.

She tried to bring up Myrtenaster to block, but the rapier was knocked from her hand as the next strike carried through, colliding with her chin.

Weiss next opened her eyes, feeling her cheek rub against rough, cold pavement, blinking at the searing pain in her head. She groaned as she turned her head. Her vision was blurry, but she saw Myrtenaster was within her reach. She reached out, her fingers wrapping around the hilt as she tried to pick it up.

A black shoe came down on her wrist, pinning it painfully to the ground, even as lukewarm metal pressed against her temple.

"Why don't you just give it up already?" The hated voice of the man above her offered. "You'd make a fine hostage, and I'm sure you'd be treated well."

Weiss' grip around Myrtenaster tightened, and she tried to create a glyph to help throw the man off, but she couldn't feel it come to her.

She had no Aura.

"I'd rather die." Weiss accused, despite how much it hurt to talk.

"That can be arranged." The pressure on her temple increased, the heiress realizing it was the man's cane. "Though, I'd prefer not to get blood on my clothes, or have legions of Atlas Specialists after my head. So why don't you be a good little girl and drop the weapon?"

"Bite me."

The man's shoe ground into Weiss' pinned wrist. "Come again?" He growled.

"Bite. Me."

The shoe was lifted from her arm, and Weiss was able to raise Myrtenaster maybe an inch.

Torchwick foot came down on Weiss' wrist, and she felt something snap. The girl screamed as fire raced up her arm, as the man began to grind his heel into the bone.

"Sorry, I was having trouble hearing you. Would you care to repeat that?"

Weiss clenched her teeth as she whimpered, her fingers still held tight around Myrtenaster. The foot rose again, and came down in one stiff motion. Then again. Then again. She screamed each time.

* * *

Jaune roared as he brought Crocea Mors around, catching the White Fang member behind him in the head with the edge of the blade. The man's Aura blunted the blow, but he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

The boy felt a bullet hit him just above the shoulder, his Aura stopping the major damage, but the hit still stung.

There were so many.

As Jaune locked blades with another one of the terrorists, he heard something that sent a chill through his spine: shrill, feminine screams.

Of pain.

Jaune shoved his current opponent back, turning towards where Weiss and her opponent had been fighting. The man was standing over her, his cane pressed against her head as he pinned her sword-hand down with his foot.

The man lifted his foot, and stomped on Weiss' wrist, the girl screaming once more.

"Weiss!" Jaune yelled as he began to run towards her, tripping as he felt a hand wrap around his ankle. The blond kicked at whoever grabbed him, feeling their grip loosen as he scrambled towards where the girl lay, Torchwick standing above her.

The blond began to sprint, bringing his sword up in preparation to engage Torchwick. A member of the White Fang moved to stand between them, blade at the ready. Jaune lunged, feeling the tip plunge through the flesh as it exited the other side, the metal wet with blood.

He pulled the blade back, eyes widening in shock as the body collapsed, the man rasping before he coughed up blood, ceasing to move.

Jaune breathed shakily, looking back up at Roman Torchwick, the man acknowledging his presence with a tip of his hat.

"Those animals weren't much of a challenge for you, were they..." The man stated as he stepped forward, putting all his weight on Weiss' wrist in the process. Jaune heard the girl whimper, her limp fingers spasming around Myrtenaster's handle. "I'll just have to deal with you perso-"

Jaune cringed when he heard the sound of shattering glass, and a girl half the man's height appeared next to the criminal, pink and brown hair whipping around. Her white eyes were wide.

Jaune's grip on Crocea Mors tightened again, remembering the situation he was in.

"What's wro-"

The girl tightly grabbed hold of the thief's jacket, then the same sound occurred again, and both of them vanished.

Jaune blinked in confusion before he heard shouts behind him and turned, seeing what White Fang remained in an obvious panic. He didn't know what exactly was happening, but one of them was sent flying, leaving a sizable dent in one of the shipping containers decorated with the SDC logo.

"We need to get out of here!" One of the faunus yelled, pointing somewhere Jaune couldn't see as he backed away.

Jaune looked over, seeing the headmaster of Beacon Academy himself step out from behind a cargo container. The man looked to the retreating White Fang, and then to Jaune. Even with the distance between them, the man made eye contact and held it, as Jaune swallowed the lump in his throat.

There was a gunshot, and Jaune watched as the headmaster swung the cane the boy had originally thought was just for walking. The bullet went rocketing back in the direction it came from, and the man who'd shot it fell from the shipping container he'd been using as a vantage point.

The man's eyes hadn't left Jaune's.

The White Fang began to scatter in even more disarray, some running towards the Bullhead Torchwick had originally came in on, and some just trying to put as much distance between them and Professor Ozpin as possible. Beacon's head professor finally turned his attention back towards them, and Jaune took a breath.

The boy ran over to Weiss, sheathing Crocea Mors' bloodstained blade as he took a knee next to the girl. She had a couple scratches on her face, and her combat skirt was dirty and torn, but Jaune's eyes were drawn to her arm. He cringed, quickly looking away, back to her tear-stained face. He took a breath to steel himself, then looked back at the damage.

"Jaune..." The girl let out hoarsely, clearly finding even talking painful.

The girl's wrist was a mangled mess, bruised, bloody, and broken in more ways than he could count – the boy didn't even want to touch it, for risk of making it worse than it already was.

"It's okay, Weiss, the headmaster's here. We're safe."

The girl just whimpered, trying to smile even as she winced in pain.


	18. Road to Recovery

**Hello everyone! How're you all doing?**

 **To be perfectly honest, when I had this entire chapter planned out in my head, I figured it would last significantly longer than it did. As far as content goes, it's giving you exactly what I intended to, but it doesn't exactly have much 'meat' to it.**

 **Oh well. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus  
_

 _"Someone's lying."_

* * *

The boy took in a shaky breath, hunched over as he sat. He looked down to his right hand, finding that it would not stop trembling, even after he wrapped the other around its wrist.

There was a loud slam from beyond the door across from him. Jaune flinched and was almost halfway out of his chair before gripping the edge of the table that took up the majority of the room, staring at the room's only entrance as he lowered himself back down.

' _She's okay... Weiss is okay..._ _she's safe..._ '

Jaune let out the breath he'd been holding, the door opening slowly. In stepped the man who had come to his and Weiss' rescue what felt like days ago.

"Jaune Arc." The man regarded him simply, standing there as he rested on the cane Jaune had originally thought he'd only used as support.

"Professor Ozpin..." Jaune greeted. "Thank you... for-"

The man cut him off with a sigh. A moment passed, and Jaune swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat as he waited for Beacon's headmaster to address him.

"Over twenty faunus extremists found either unconscious or dead this evening. Two of my students fought for their lives. One of those two is now severely injured." The man sat in the chair, resting his cane against the table. The mug that typically accompanied Beacon's headmaster anywhere he went was not present.

Jaune blinked. Was he supposed to answer that somehow?

"Perhaps that is why, currently, I don't care about the circumstances that led the White Fang to the docks this evening." The headmaster leaned forward, eyes soft above his glasses. "I care about what led you and Miss Schnee to them."

"I..."

"Would you care to explain?"

Jaune breathed, looking down at the professor's chest in an effort to avoid looking him in the eye. "We... that is, Weiss and I... were investigating those Dust robberies – you've heard of them, right?" Ozpin nodded, giving Jaune his full attention as he leaned forward. "We came across one of the crime scenes when we were out in Vale the other day, and Weiss wanted to get a better look."

"What did you find?"

"Well..." The boy bit his lip, thinking. "The first thing Weiss noticed was the robbers didn't do it to turn a profit."

"How did she come to that conclusion?" The headmaster asked.

"The Dust was the only thing stolen. The more expensive equipment that used it was left untouched." Jaune remembered that in particular. "Weiss thought it was strange, and we discussed it a little more."

"And then?"

"Weiss came and talked to me this morning. Apparently she'd been up all night looking into the other robberies."

"And that led you to the White Fang?"

"Only by accident." Jaune admitted. "We didn't know the White Fang or Torchwick were going to be there."

"Torchwick?" Ozpin tilted his head. "Roman Torchwick?"

"Yeah." The blond confirmed. "He was the one who did... did _that..._ to Weiss."

"... there too..."

Jaune had barely heard the man. "What was that professor?"

"Ah, my apologies. You're sure it was him?" Jaune nodded, and the professor sat up straighter, tenting his fingers before him. "So, you and Miss Schnee happened upon the White Fang and Torchwick by mere chance?"

"You'd have to ask Weiss about it, but she had this idea that with all the robberies happening and the Dust being what was stolen, the one big shipment coming from Atlas might be the next target." Jaune confessed. "So, we were going from deep water dock to deep water dock, looking for it."

Ozpin hummed. "How did you know to look in those docks?"

Jaune scrunched his face up in thought. "Weiss said they were the only docks that could get the shipment, but she didn't really say why: just that we had about five or six potential places to check."

"I see. I will have to ask Miss Schnee, sometime after she has recovered from her surgery."

The blond's head snapped up at that, a pained feeling in his gut. "Surgery? She'll be okay, won't she?"

Ozpin stared into Jaune's eyes for a moment, the boy wanting to collapse in on himself under the pressure. The man let out a breath. "Miss Schnee will be fine. The surgery shouldn't have any complications. Beacon's medical staff are among the best in Vale."

Jaune let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "As long as she's okay..."

"Hmm. What else can you tell me about tonight?"

* * *

The first thing Weiss felt was fire.

The dull, burning sensation in her arm quickly faded, and she tried cracking her eyes open, but they didn't respond. All she could process was a faint glow.

Was she even awake?

"... _another dose_..."

The light she caught a glimpse of faded away, but the fire in her arm returned shortly after. She tried to move to scratch at her skin, but nothing responded. She felt so... tired, but she also felt the desire to move, to get up.

She tried to recall what happened, but she simply couldn't. All that there was was the light, and a smiling face she recognized.

' _Winter_?'

" _I know it's going to be a difficult request to follow, but do be careful_."

" _I will_."

The girl felt a sharp pain in her arm, trying to turn to look at it, but again found she couldn't move.

" _Mother_!" The girl felt like she'd turned, though she knew she really hadn't.

She didn't feel the hand on her shoulder, but she knew it was there.

Weiss' eyes snapped open, awakening to a beep she could hear from her left. Staring up at the ceiling, her eyes traced the lighting above, before she blinked.

There was another beep, and she turned towards the source, seeing multiple tubes running to and from a machine, with all sorts of different numbers and charts on a screen, the results constantly changing.

She moved just a little, attempting to push herself up, and pain lanced through her arm. The girl screeched as the stinging feeling refused to fade.

The girl rolled over to clutch her arm, but she felt a tug as she tried to do so.

Something was wrong.

Weiss Schnee opened her eyes, and all was quiet. The lights embedded in the ceiling above were dark. There was no beeping from any machine. There was no tug, nor any pain as she pushed herself up, more gently than before.

Her left arm felt heavy, and she looked down at it, seeing it wrapped in... well... _something_ solid. She ran her right hand up and down the length, feeling the rough material that encased her forearm and her hand.

' _A cast_?'

The girl lifted her arm, finding even such a simple task rather arduous as she took a closer look at it. She felt a dull ache as she did so, but nothing of the pain she was faintly able to recall.

She sighed, looking around the room. There was a window, from which Weiss could barely see the faint green glow of Beacon Tower, meaning – of course – she was at Beacon. Everything else she saw, from the chairs, the small desk, and the door leading out of the room, indicated she was in the infirmary. Everything looked exactly the same as the last time she was here.

With another sigh, the girl brought her free hand along the side of the bed, feeling for the call button. She yawned, depressing it once her fingers found it.

She shouldn't have been tired: she had the feeling she'd been in bed for a while. Why was she yawning? She felt fine.

The door to her room was pulled open.

"You're awake." The woman called out.

Weiss blinked in response. "Professor Peach?"

The professor stepped forward, closing the door behind her. "The one and only."

"What are you doing here?" The heiress asked as the professor walked towards her bedside, turning on a small lamp.

"Wishing I wasn't here." Professor Peach stated dryly as she pulled a clipboard off the wall. "Sorry, it's been a long day."

"Okay...?"

"Oh, excuse me for a moment." Weiss watched on as Beacon's youngest professor pulled her scroll out, resting the clipboard on the blanket atop Weiss' legs. "I need to let the headmaster know you're awake. He wanted to be the first to know."

The woman brought the scroll to her ear, holding it there with her shoulder as she retrieved the clipboard. She hummed, writing something down. "Hi Professor Ozpin-" She was cut off, Weiss barely able to hear the headmaster through the speaker. "Yes, she's awake... Okay, see you in a few minutes."

The professor returned her scroll to her pocket, sighing.

"This isn't the first time I've been forced to work the infirmary because a first-year got injured, but it's definitely the worst of them." The professor claimed, writing something on the clipboard. "You've certainly outdone yourself."

Weiss looked down at her mostly immobilized arm, and had to agree.

"To answer your question," The professor continued, "I spend time here when I'm not teaching classes, looking after a variety of projects and – occasionally – sick and injured students."

The heiress nodded along, before a thought crossed her mind. "How long have I been here for?"

"A whole twenty-four hours." Professor Peach said, not hesitating in her answer. "You wer-"

"Twenty-four hours?" Weiss asked, astonished.

"Yes, _a whole day_." The woman looked at the clipboard. "Or, just about. Twenty-three hours and twenty minutes, if you want to be specific."

"What happened?" The heiress breathed.

The professor just shrugged, pulling up a stool that had been nearby, as she proceeded to sit in it. "You'd know better than I would." Was the woman's response. "Or do you mean after your wrist was mashed?"

Wincing, Weiss reached for her other arm, feeling at the cast. She could remember how much it hurt, could still hear how that monster had laughed as he did it.

She had to know, though.

"How bad is it?"

Professor Peach drew her lips tight, before she took a breath. "Do you... want me to ease you into it?"

"Bad, then." Weiss confirmed.

"That depends, really." The professor set the clipboard on the blanket again, clasping her hands before her on her lap. "You'll be in the cast for roughly a month, then we'll have a better picture of what we're looking at."

"A month?" Weiss' free hand clenched around a handful of the bed's sheets.

"Yes, a month. It ensures there's as few complications as possible. Your Aura will help speed the process along much faster, compared to a normal person, but it all depends on you."

A whole month... If she remembered correctly – which she was certain she did – that almost brought them straight to the date the students from the other schools would be arriving for the Vytal Festival. While that wasn't necessarily concerning, a pit grew in Weiss' stomach nonetheless.

"I've never been good with consoling students." Weiss' head snapped up at the professor's words. "It wasn't that long ago I was a student here myself... But, well... that's not the worst news."

Weiss felt cold. "It wasn't?" She gasped. "Wait, what about Jaune? Is he okay?"

The professor blinked, before chuckling. "Oh, he's fine. No injuries at all. Just a bit dirty."

"Good..." Weiss sighed, relieved. The girl took a moment, before she met the professor's eyes again. "Just... tell me, please."

"You sure?"

"I can handle it." Weiss said, though she didn't know whether it was directed towards the professor or herself.

She hoped she could handle it.

"Once we have that cast off of you, we'll obviously put you through rehabilitation, but you won't have the same range of motion you had before."

"Meaning...?" Weiss wished the professor would stop beating around the bush and just tell her.

"You might not be able to fight the way you used to. At least with that hand." She explained. "The surgery you went through did what it was supposed to, in leaving you with a working appendage. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about the scarring."

Weiss glanced at her wrist, barely able to feel her fingers beyond the dull aching, though she didn't dare try to move them.

Something still felt wrong.

"What aren't you telling me?"

The professor seemed hesitant – and that certainly wasn't a good sign, considering what Weiss had been told so far.

What could be worse than being stuck in a cast for a month, with a chance she'd never be able to fight with her dominant hand ever again?

"To put it bluntly, your arm was an absolute mess." Weiss nodded slowly. "We tried to ensure you retained as much of your original skeletal structure as possible..."

"I don't like the sound of that." The heiress said nervously.

The professor leaned forwards, taking Weiss' right hand in her's gently, though the heiress couldn't turn her eyes from the woman's expression. "From about here-" She dragged her finger along the forearm, the touch garnering Weiss' attention. "-to here, we had to form what remained of your radius and ulna around a metal support, so it would heal into as natural a state as possible, considering what had happened."

"So I have two pieces of metal in my arm right now?"

"Six." The professor held her hand tightly.

"How long until they're removed?"

"They'll be there for the rest of your life."

Weiss winced, looking down at the cast once more.

"My whole life?" Weiss breathed, the encased arm feeling far heavier than it did just seconds ago.

Professor Peach was silent in return, releasing Weiss' hand.

"Has anyone been here to see me? Jaune, or my team?"

"They haven't been allowed to. Unlike the time you and Jaune came back from the Emerald Forest, a major operation like your surgery has protocols." Peach explained. "...I can see about letting them know they'll be able to come see you now."

"There'll be no need for that, Sheryl." Weiss looked up at the door, Professor Peach turning as well. Professor Ozpin stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him. "I just ran into one of her teammates. They'll likely be here in the morning. How are you feeling, Miss Schnee?"

"I..." Weiss glanced down at her cast, before meeting the headmaster's eyes again. "I'm not sure."

"Understandable." The man adjusted his glasses, standing at the end of Weiss' bed. "I'd like to ask you a few questions about the other night, and what happened at the docks, if you feel up to it."

"I can do that." Weiss answered, turning to look out the window at the night sky.

"Very good."

Weiss looked down to her cast, and attempted to move the fingers within. A twinge of pain lanced up her arm, but she didn't let it show on her face.

' _I can do that, at least_.'

* * *

' _He's okay. He's here._ ' Pyrrha took in a deep breath. ' _Everything is okay. It's not_ _my_ _fault_.'

The girl looked up from the notes she'd been pretending to be going over, gazing at the blond. Her partner's arms were wrapped around his legs with his knees pulled into his chest, his eyes shut but occasionally opening halfway to look around the room.

' _It's all_ _my_ _fault_.'

Ever since Jaune had gotten back, JNPR's dorm had been silent. They and RWBY were excused from all classes for the next few days, on account of what happened.

All the same, Jaune didn't speak unless he had to, and Pyrrha didn't dare talk to or approach the boy for anything. He'd said a word here and there to Nora and Ren, but only in response to something they'd asked him directly.

When he'd just come back, Jaune had been a little more talkative, but Pyrrha could remember the way he shook, and how nervous he'd been. How fragile he'd seemed. Like a cornered animal. She hadn't wanted to disturb him then, nor did she want to risk doing it now that he had finally calmed down a little.

' _There must be something I can do_.'

Pyrrha quietly closed her notebook, looking over to where Ren and Nora had been lounging. The redhead could hear the faint sound of music coming from Nora's headphones, the girl nodding along to a beat. Ren was reading, Pyrrha watching as he turned a page, far more invested in his reading than she had been in her own notes.

The girl kept an eye on Jaune as she shuffled to the edge of her bed, her bare feet touching the ground. She stood carefully, walking over to the desk to put her notes with the rest. She stood there for a moment, looking at the collection of textbooks as she tried to think of something – anything – to say to her partner.

It felt like she stood there for a very long time before Pyrrha realized she had absolutely no idea what to say. Frowning, the girl crossed the floor, and fell into her bed, resting her head on her pillow.

Jaune's eyes met hers as she looked up, and the boy looked away instantly.

"I..." Pyrrha started out, propping herself up on her elbows. The girl trailed off when Jaune didn't turn to look back at her. The redhead frowned, seeing Ren look over his shoulder for a brief moment.

Sighing, Pyrrha let her hair down, falling back onto her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling.

' _There must be something I can say_.'

"Are you hungry, Jaune?"

Pyrrha turned towards Nora, the girl calling out to their team's leader with a smile.

"...Yeah, I am." Jaune answered after a pause. "But the cafeteria is closed now, isn't it?"

Nora scoffed. "It's fine, it's fine. We can make something in the kitchen. Just a light snack, right Ren?"

Pyrrha could barely see the black haired boy smile. "Sure." He turned. "You want to come help, Pyrrha?"

The redhead blinked, stopping herself from looking over to Jaune as Ren stared at her, trying to communicate something non-verbally. In the end, Pyrrha nodded. "Okay."

Nora hopped out of her bed. "Alright! Any requests?"

This time, Pyrrha afforded herself a glance his way. "Not necessarily." The boy said.

"Hmm... Maybe I should bake a cake?"

"Nora, no."

"I still don't know how you don't like cake."

Ren sighed as he stepped out the door. "That's not it... Pyrrha, are you coming?"

"Oh. Right." The redhead hopped out of bed, slipping into her shoes. She looked back to Jaune. "We'll be back in a bit."

The blond nodded, and Pyrrha closed the door behind her. She quickly jogged to catch up to Ren and Nora, the duo already on their way down the hall.

"You don't really need my help, do you?" Pyrrha asked.

"We didn't... until Nora got the brilliant idea to bake a cake." Ren replied, his partner giggling.

"It _is_ a brilliant idea, isn't it?"

Pyrrha frowned. "We can bake a cake?"

"Of course we can." Nora affirmed.

"Huh..." Pyrrha let out, looking back down the hall to their dorm. She took another step, and it felt like she'd ran into a wall.

Slightly stunned, Pyrrha turned, realizing it was Nora she had collided with. Ren, who had been walking astride Nora, had also stopped.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha gazed ahead.

Standing just a little down the hall, was Blake. Pyrrha tilted her head, before sticking a hand up over Nora's head.

"Hello Blake. Did you go to check up on Weiss?" Pyrrha called out.

The girl nodded, but her amber eyes didn't move from Nora.

They stood there in silence, before Blake finally took a step forward, Nora doing the same. The two didn't take their eyes off each other from what Pyrrha could see, and after a few agonizing seconds, they passed each other, looking at one another over their shoulders without breaking their stride.

Pyrrha noticed Ren was unusually tense, watching Nora like a hawk. When Blake was a decent distance away, the boy seemed to relax, walking forward himself.

Pyrrha caught up with him, Nora walking ahead of the two rigidly. Just as stiffly as Blake had, she realized. "Did something happen?"

"Later." Ren offered. "We're _really_ going to need your help with that cake now."

* * *

Ruby sighed into the breeze, the cold air blowing her bangs into her face. She stared out into the night, ignoring the shiver that shook her.

"You're going to catch a cold." The girl heard her sister call out. "Hell, we're both going to get colds."

Ruby sighed, knowing her sister was right in that. But the breeze, while it was cold, was also soothing. She pulled the window closed, looking to Weiss' empty bunk.

"She's fine."

"Is she?" Ruby turned to Yang in an instant. "Is she really _okay_? Already a whole day in the infirmary, no visitors?" Taking in a shuddering breath, Ruby sat on her partner's bed. "She had to be operated on, she's been unconscious this whole time! Is she really okay?"

Yang's intense eyes met hers and Ruby flinched. "You're not the only one who's worried, sis."

Ruby looked down to the floor, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. "Sorry."

"Hey, don't be." Yang said, standing up. Her sister walked over, sitting next to her. Ruby felt Yang wrap her arm around her and Ruby leaned into her sister, resting her head on the offered shoulder. "She's fine. We just have to wait for Blake to come back, and let us know what she found out."

"Right." Ruby agreed, before she sneezed lightly. She breathed through her nose deeply, the familiar smell of Yang's favorite shampoo making her smile. "You know... Weiss is smart."

Ruby felt her sister's head shift, and looked up at her, seeing the blonde's quirked eyebrow.

"I mean... Well... You know what we saw in the news, right? It's obvious Weiss was involved in that attack on the docks."

"What about it?" Yang egged on. For the two of them and Blake, it didn't take much investigation to realize exactly what happened just a couple nights ago, even if the headmaster and the rest of the professors refused to say anything.

Ruby took a deep breath, leaning further into Yang. "At first I was just concerned about Weiss. After seeing that news broadcast, I was... angry. In fact, I still am... But Weiss is smart: She wouldn't have just picked a fight like that for no reason, would she?"

Feeling Yang hum, Ruby looked up at her. "It does seem a lot more complicated than that."

"That's what I mean." Ruby agreed, pulling away from her sister to look her better in the eye, before she turned away, glancing towards the floor. "If only we could ask Jaune..."

Yang chuckled nervously. "Yeah, let's just wait until Weiss is awake."

"Yeah." Ruby fell backwards, bouncing on the mattress gently. "Did you notice?"

"Hm? Notice what?"

"Jaune." Ruby answered. "He had that look in his eye, like Dad and Uncle Qrow get sometimes. Did you notice?"

Yang sighed. "Yeah, I noticed. That's why we're just going to leave him to his team, for now. They'll sort things out."

The door to RWBY's dorm cracked open, and Ruby sat up, Yang standing as Blake walked in. The girl met both of their eyes, before she looked away briefly, walking over to her own bed.

"No word?" Yang asked, leaning against Weiss' bedpost.

"I saw Professor Ozpin in the hallway." Blake answered, sitting. "He said Weiss woke up."

"She did?!" Ruby asked excitedly. "She's okay?"

"She's fine, yes. She should be able to have visitors tomorrow morning."

Ruby let out a long breath, smiling lightly.

Weiss was going to be okay.

* * *

Jaune let out his breath slowly, looking over to where Pyrrha lay. He looked beyond her, seeing Nora and Ren relaxing leisurely, each enjoying a slice of cake.

' _They're not going to ask_?'

The blond looked to the end of his bed, the pommel of Crocea Mors just visible from where he'd leant it against the wood, his empty plate on the mattress before him. The boy thought of reaching out for the blade, but he didn't feel like moving at all.

Maybe it was rude. Maybe it was inconsiderate of him.

He really didn't want to be with his team right now.

He appreciated what they'd done: remaining with him for the majority of the day, only leaving to bring back food from the cafeteria or for the one short trip to the common room, but...

The one place he wanted to be was the one place he couldn't be. Weiss wasn't going to be able to see any visitors until she recovered.

Until she recovered...

Jaune's hands clenched into fists, and he pulled his legs even further into his chest. The headmaster had said things like this happened; that they were unavoidable; that he shouldn't blame himself for something.

Despite those words, he still felt like there was something he could have done. He could have fought harder. He could have stopped Weiss from running out to fight...

If he hadn't even agreed to go with her on her little investigation, would she have done it at all? Would she have gone to one of her teammates – one of her far more capable, experienced friends for help instead?

Would she have been okay then?

Jaune scowled, kicking his legs out from underneath him. He saw his teammates turn towards him out of the corner of his eye, but he refused to meet their stares as he stood up. He grabbed Crocea Mors and its shield.

"I'm going for a walk." Jaune declared, slipping into his shoes.

"With your weapon?"

The blond looked up at Ren. "I'm taking it to the locker room."

Pyrrha stood, and Jaune turned towards her, meeting the girl's eyes.

"Can I go with you?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to." Pyrrha answered.

Jaune blinked in surprise, his hand settling on the doorknob. He'd just wanted to get out and about a little bit, to clear his head. "Sure, I guess."

After double-checking he had his scroll in his pocket, Jaune closed the door behind him, turning to face his partner for a moment. Pyrrha stood there with her hands behind her back, waiting. Jaune nodded to her and began walking towards the dorm building's exit.

Pushing his way through the exit, Jaune took a deep breath of the early evening air. Carrying Crocea Mors by its sheath, he stepped forward, Pyrrha walking astride.

The girl didn't say anything as they crossed the courtyard, nor did she say anything as they weaved between the lockers on the way to Jaune's. When Jaune slapped Crocea Mors against the magnetic back of his locker, he smiled, realizing he had – for a short time – successfully cleared his head. Or, well...

"Thanks Pyrrha." He called out.

"I'm sorry?"

The girl was sitting on the bench not far behind him, Jaune turning towards her. "For coming with me."

Her just being there had actually helped him relax a little. For that little bit of time, he hadn't thought about anything aside from how Pyrrha hadn't spoken. When he'd been cramped up in the room with her, Ren, and Nora, he had just been left to his own thoughts.

"Oh, it was nothing." The girl smiled up at him.

Jaune took a deep breath in, before he slowly let it out. Stepping forward, the boy sat next to his partner on the bench, leaning forward. He felt like saying something, but nothing came to his mind.

Pyrrha's hand rested against his shoulder, and Jaune shuddered lightly, sighing.

"How are you feeling?" Pyrrha asked casually.

Jaune took a moment to think of his answer. "...Not great."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No... Not really." Jaune admitted. "Not right now, sorry."

Pyrrha's fingers tightened around his shoulder just enough that Jaune had noticed it, before she let go. The girl inched a little closer, and sighed herself. "If you want to talk about it – if you want to talk about anything, I'm here. You can trust me Jaune. I'm your partner. I'll be here for you whenever you need me."

Jaune opened his mouth, prepared to answer with 'I know', before he realized... he really didn't know.

"Alright, I'll remember that."


	19. Assistance

**Hello Everyone! How are you all? I'm doing well myself.** _  
_

 **A couple things before I let you get to the chapter (provided you don't skip these notes anyways). One: I will no longer be able to _guarantee_ my monthly update schedule for this story, as well as Technician. I'll still do my damnedest to beat those deadlines where I can, and - having missed it just once in the past - there shouldn't be any problems actually doing so, but I figured I'd let you know that if a chapter _is_ a day or two late, I'm probably working my ass off trying to get it to you.**

 **Two: As always, if there's some kind of problem you guys see, or if you just want to point something out to me, PM me or leave a review. You guys don't know how much your input matters!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"I like how my spell checker is telling me "blond" is misspelled."_

* * *

Weiss blinked rapidly, moving her free hand underneath the stream of water, cupping it even as it pooled in the sink. She raised her left hand to turn off the tap, but the unfamiliar weight reminded her she couldn't exactly do that.

Sighing, the girl let the water flow between the fingers of her right hand, then used said hand to turn the knob, stopping the flow of water from the faucet. She looked to her casted hand, the dull throbbing pain now nothing more than an annoyance.

She splashed her face with the cold water that was trapped in the sink, letting it fall back into the small pool. Weiss watched the droplets form ripples across the surface, and sighed.

' _How am I supposed to explain this_?'

The heiress reached out to the side, grasping for the towel there. Drying her hand on it, she then took it in her hand, and moved on to drying her face, watching herself in the mirror.

The girl staring back at her looked tired... much more tired than Weiss felt. She tried to smile, but it looked awkward on her face. The girl glanced down at the reflection of her cast, twisting her arm around to get a better look, as uncomfortable as it was to do so. She hung the towel, and walked back into the small infirmary room, stalking back over to her bed.

She sat on the edge of the stiff mattress, and waited, her shadow a silhouette against the wall opposite her, the sun at her back.

Jaune or her team would be there soon to see her.

Looking over her shoulder, the sky was a hopeful shade of blue. Her scroll had many a missed call from everyone: Ruby, Yang, Blake... Each of them had called three times during the night. According to the logs, there were eleven calls between the time she'd begun fighting the White Fang and when she'd woken back up at Beacon.

Aside from the ones from her team, one was from her father, and the last was from Winter.

The heiress sighed. Of course they'd have been told. Of course they wanted to know what happened.

Her left hand ached, and so did her head. The girl drew her legs into her chest, and rested her chin atop her free arm as she crossed it atop her knees.

She'd have to call them back later. Both of them...

Weiss heard the door open and lifted her head up, turning towards it. A familiar face seemed to fill the entire doorframe as it twisted into a happy smile: one that even Weiss couldn't stop herself from returning.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out excitedly, running into the room.

"Rub-" Weiss was cut off as the girl careened into her chest, knocking the air out of her lungs. She fell back against the mattress, a pair of arms wrapped all around her.

"Hey, be careful!" Yang chastised with more concern than Weiss thought the girl had in her entire body. Weiss watched on over Ruby's shoulder as her blonde teammate came into view. "She's in the infirmary for a reason."

Weiss' partner gasped, and moved to pull away, but Weiss wrapped her arms – both of them – around the younger girl, pulling Ruby into her chest. The heiress buried her face in her partner's shoulder, and held her tight.

"Uh, Weiss?" Ruby breathed, and the white haired girl hugged her tighter.

Ruby felt so warm. Weiss pulled her head back slightly, and looked over the girl's shoulder, seeing Yang frozen with one hand out, as if reaching to pull Ruby away to give the heiress space. To Yang's side, Blake stood silently, though the black haired girl nodded her own greeting when Weiss met her eyes.

They were here. All three of them.

Weiss hugged her partner even tighter as her eyes watered with both the pain from her injury and the overwhelming feeling of... relief? The heiress didn't know what it was.

Unable to stop herself, Weiss began to cry into Ruby's shoulder. Despite how embarrassing it was, she couldn't stop herself. She tried to bite back a sob, but that just made her cry harder: She was stronger than this.

" _What do I do_?" Weiss heard between sobs, unable to stop herself from laughing mid-cry.

"I think she's finally lost it."

Weiss wiped her eyes dry on Ruby's shirt, before she let go. Ruby pulled away with a blush, while Weiss just smiled, her eyes still damp.

"Are you-"

"I just..." She sniffled, cutting Blake off. "I'm sho happy, and I don' know why."

Weiss stood, and walked over to Blake, the girl stepping back slightly as she approached, but the heiress didn't let her escape. Weiss wrapped her arms around the girl as she practically turned to stone.

"Yeah, she's lost it."

The heiress let go of Blake after a quick squeeze, the girl still frozen stock still, and turned to Yang. Weiss frowned, and held her arms outwards, waiting for Yang to approach. When Yang didn't immediately move, Weiss stomped her bare foot on the floor.

"Okay, okay." Yang stepped forward into Weiss' arms, and they embraced, Weiss putting her head against the blonde's chest.

"I'm sho happy..."

' _I'm so sorry..._ '

* * *

"So, about all that hugging-"

"You will never speak a single word of that to anyone. Ever." The Schnee barked at Yang, causing Blake to raise an eyebrow.

Just minutes ago, Weiss was bawling in the infirmary, and now, apparently, the girl was back to business as usual as far as Blake could tell.

"I wasn't planning on it." Yang reassured, though Blake was certain the blonde would bring it up again when it benefited her in some way; it was just Yang's style.

Blake, on the other hand, wasn't interested in Weiss' emotional outburst. She was much more interested in what happened the other night, and what had led to Weiss' injuries.

She and the rest of team RWBY – sans Weiss – hadn't been able to speak with Jaune, the only other person who'd been directly involved in that night's events. Since they were all excused from the week's classes, they never got the chance to talk to him in class, nor did they see him at lunch.

In fact, they saw even less of JNPR as a whole.

Blake knew why, of course, or at least could hazard a guess: She remembered, just the other night, seeing Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha in the hall on the way back from her trip to check out the infirmary. The stare from Nora was cold, though it was one Blake reciprocated. Ren didn't step in to mediate their little confrontation, though Blake could accept that: To take the neutral stance in their argument was to go against Nora, and for whatever reason, the boy didn't seem able to do that.

Pyrrha, however? She'd seemed confused, or oblivious. Blake had forgotten she'd left before the argument they'd had in the cafeteria. No doubt she'd have agreed with Nora, had she been there, and that she'd now been informed of what had occurred.

It was no wonder they hadn't seen JNPR.

Blake hummed as all of RWBY strode in through the cafeteria's large doors, the large hall bustling with the many students who were getting their morning meal. Weiss – and the girl actually admitted it herself – was hungry, so Ruby had all but ordered the team to get some food. Weiss had been put into their care, so the team had made their way straight there the moment the injured girl changed into her normal clothes: something the heiress reluctantly asked for help with.

That task had somehow fallen to Blake. Ruby blushed and claimed she couldn't, while Yang just laughed it off and pushed Blake forward.

It was an odd experience, that was for sure. There she'd been, someone who had once been considered her enemy, naked and helpless before her. It made her wonder why the White Fang didn't consider sending people undercover at all the Huntsman Academies, because of the opportunities that seemed to present themselves.

Blake shook the thought off, looking at the heiress' back. Weiss wasn't wearing the jacket embroidered with her family's crest, as after a momentary struggle, Blake realized her left arm wouldn't fit through her sleeve thanks to her cast.

"So we don't have class until next Monday?" Weiss asked of their tall blonde teammate, Blake looking to the girl as she spoke.

"That's right." Yang confirmed, a wide grin on her face. "Gives you time to adjust, or whatever."

Blake watched on as the heiress sighed, looking down at her immobilized arm. "I guess I'm going to need it." The girl said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yang and Ruby shared an obvious glance, and Yang put a hand on the heiress' shoulder. "Why don't you go sit at our table?" The blonde offered. "I'll get your food."

The heiress seemed taken aback, as if shocked by the offer. After a moment, the white haired girl smiled, nodding. "Alright... I'll do that. Thank you."

Yang didn't let go of the girl's shoulder immediately, and Blake looked between her and Weiss. "If you need _anything_." Yang continued. "Just ask us, alright? Any of us."

"I'll do that."

The sole blonde of RWBY patted the girl's shoulder, and turned to walk away. Blake kept her eyes on Weiss as she motioned to follow Yang.

' _She's been looking down a lot. Despite_ _the_ _smile, despite_ _what she's saying_ _..._ '

Weiss turned after a moment, walking in the direction of the table their team usually sat at, though Blake didn't miss the way she reached for her cast with her other hand.

"She's putting on a tough act for us." Ruby said quietly, putting Blake's thoughts into words before she could.

"She is," Yang noted, "but for now, we'll just have to let her be."

Blake blinked in response, expecting to have to be the voice of reason, but finding the two siblings already in agreement with her. "I'm surprised you're both so..."

"Calm?" Ruby offered.

"Relaxed?"

"Composed?"

Blake shook her head quickly at her two teammates. "Those all mean the same thing... but yes."

"Well, she was hurt pretty badly, and clearly she's pretty down in the dumps. But if this was something easy to fix, I'd have done it already." Yang stated, taking her spot at the back of the cafeteria line with her hands behind her head. "Not that I'm saying there's something that really needs fixing, you know what I mean?"

"Weiss is..." Ruby started, Blake and Yang turning to her. "I get the feeling that if she wants to talk about things, she _won't,_ and we'll have to do it; but, unless she wants to talk about it, there's no point in trying to get her to." The girl frowned. "Did that make sense?"

Blake looked out over the cafeteria, seeing if she could spot the heiress among the people seated near their usual spot. "Yeah."

The line moved quickly, and the girls got their food. Blake was extra vigilant as she watched Yang balance the two metal trays in her hands, though it proved pointless as Yang made her way through the tables with ease.

Weiss was sitting at the table, and it was hard to tell exactly what was wrong at first: It honestly looked like a completely normal scene, even with the girl's lack of jacket and her new cast.

What was out of place, were the stares and whispers of the many students at the surrounding tables – all eyes were on Weiss Schnee, and the quiet conversations being held all seemed to have the white haired girl as their topic.

" _Do you know what happened_?"

" _No, but RWBY and JNPR haven't been in class. Maybe this has something to do with that_?"

 _"She was fine before the weekend, I think_. _Something happen then_?"

Ruby and Yang carried on as if there was nothing wrong, Ruby taking her usual spot next to Weiss, but sitting on the girl's left instead of her right. Yang sat across from the heiress, and slid the tray of food they got for Weiss in front of her.

Blake sat, doing her best to ignore everything as well as the two siblings on the team had. The faunus' eyes settled on Weiss' fork, and she stopped. She looked up at Ruby, then over to Yang.

' _There's no way in hell I'm feeding her. I clothed her_!'

Weiss picked up her fork, and began to eat.

' _I guess she'll be fine_...?'

* * *

The door to the dorm's bathroom clicked shut, and Weiss let out a sigh. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, and glowered.

There was a knock on the door, and Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yes?"

"Oh!" Ruby let out from the other side. "If you need any help, you know, just shout!"

Weiss couldn't even bring herself to smile. "Of course." She called back, though her heart wasn't in it at all.

Getting dressed was one thing, as that was something that required full use of both arms – or at least, if she didn't want to take a half an hour to do it. But offering to open a door for her, or asking if she needed help going to the washroom...

Weiss growled as she turned the knob, the water flowing out of the shower head freely. Just now, even, Ruby offered to help with anything. The heiress scowled, unzipping her skirt. There was _nothing_ she needed help with. She could get undressed herself, she could turn on the shower herself, she could wash herself...

She understood they were doing it for her, because of her injury, but she despised the way they were treating her as if she were so fragile.

Weiss – miraculously – managed to unclasp her bra with one hand, shrugging it off. She looked in the mirror, only wearing the cast on her arm, and sighed heavily, looking herself up and down. The few bruises and scrapes she had from the other night were long gone, and her arm didn't even seem to hurt anymore.

In a bout of curiosity, Weiss gave her fingers an experimental twitch, finding that yes, her arm did indeed still hurt.

The heiress, completely bare, subconsciously brought both hands up about an inch, before stopping, only using her right to let her hair down. She stepped into the stream of running water, letting it break atop her head, making sure to put her left arm out in an effort to keep the cast as dry as possible, as Professor Peach had instructed.

Taking in a shaky breath, Weiss adjusted the temperature, the water much too cold for her liking. The warm stream broke against her skin, and she sighed contently, closing her eyes.

Her team _had_ been frustrating her, a little bit, but Weiss knew what she'd have to do to stop it: As far as she was aware, they didn't know anything about what happened at the docks. That is, unless they heard it from Jaune. If that wasn't the case, she'd have to tell them herself.

"Jaune..." Weiss whispered to herself, thinking about the blond who'd been with her. Professor Peach had said he was fine, but the heiress had yet to actually see him herself. She hadn't asked her teammates about him either, as – frankly – doing so would have meant talking about what had happened.

She turned towards the bathroom door, her team waiting for her on the other side. She quickly turned back to face the stream of water, shaking her head rapidly.

A piercing pain – much worse than the one she'd just self-inflicted – ran through her wrist, and Weiss clenched her teeth. It was like the bones in her arm caught fire, and then were quickly extinguished, only leaving the burning sensation.

The feeling faded as quickly as it came, though, once Weiss had dropped her arm.

Weiss drew her right hand into a fist, and smacked it into the wall at her side.

"Weiss, are you okay?"

The heiress growled to herself.

" _I'm fine!_ " She yelled over the running water.

Maybe... she could talk to Jaune first?

The heiress' chest felt tight. She didn't want to talk to Jaune. Not because of what she felt, or anything like that, but...

Had he told his own team what happened?

She hadn't been certain, but her team didn't say anything. They didn't act like they knew, and they were horrible at keeping secrets, so that meant that no one had told them. Not the headmaster, nor Peach, nor Goodwitch.

If they didn't tell her team, would they have told JNPR? Would Jaune have talked with his team already? Weiss hoped he hadn't: It would be much easier to discuss when they were all together.

Weiss tilted her head up, letting the water hit her face.

No... it was better she talked to her team by herself. She should be prepared to do that. She couldn't – shouldn't – rely on Jaune for something so trivial.

The heiress smiled a half-hearted smile. She crossed her arms beneath her chest and let out a shuddering breath.

When had she become so pathetic?

Weiss stood there for a minute or so, before she remembered her team was waiting on her. She ducked her head out of the stream and lathered some shampoo in her hair. Yang had told her she could take her time, but Weiss just couldn't do that.

She looked down to her cast.

The last thing she could do was waste time.

The girl rinsed out her hair, and scrubbed herself clean. There were a couple areas she'd struggled with, but otherwise, she could wash herself just fine. She let the suds flow away as she looked down at her pale skin.

She turned the knob, the flow of water ceasing, and stepped out of the shower. Weiss found toweling herself off was slightly more difficult than usual, but no different from washing herself as a whole. She slipped into her nightie, and made her way back into the dorm.

Three pairs of eyes turned to meet her, and Yang stood instantly, walking over as if she'd been waiting forever.

"Okay, before anything else, there's something we need to... well..."

Weiss blinked, confused as to the blonde's sudden approach, before she realized Blake and Ruby had moved with her, and seemed to be cornering her.

"What is it?" Weiss answered looking back and forth.

"Can we see your arm?"

Weiss held out her right arm, and the rest of her team collectively facepalmed.

"Your other arm." Ruby said.

"Oh, right."

"No, _left_." Yang smiled.

"I meant-" Weiss scoffed, holding out her casted arm. "Ass." Yang took the arm in her grip, and Ruby pulled the cap off the marker she had been holding. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"We're signing your cast." Ruby stated, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she scribbled something on the plaster. "Like so!"

Weiss craned her neck, but she sighed as she realized Ruby's handwriting was still as illegible as it was the first time she'd seen it. "What does it say?"

"It says ' _get well soon_ '." Ruby stated.

Yang snorted, and Weiss glared at the blonde girl.

"What does it _really_ say?" The heiress asked.

"Hey!" Ruby squawked as her older sister chuckled.

"No, that's what it actually says. I just found it funny is all." Yang took the marker from Ruby and passed it off to Blake. "Your turn."

Blake stood there for a moment, marker in hand as her amber eyes blinked rapidly, staring at the side of the cast. "...I still don't know what to write."

"Just sign your name then." Yang suggested. "It doesn't have to be a message – every name is a show of support."

The black haired girl leaned in, and a moment later, passed Yang the marker. "Done."

The lettering was a little off – likely because of the curve of the cast itself – but Blake's name was much more legible than Ruby's... Weiss didn't even want to call it writing.

"Alright, my turn." Yang grinned.

Weiss tapped her foot impatiently as the blonde wrote. She narrowed her eyes at how she seemed to be hiding what she was writing from the other members of her team.

But she paid it no mind – until it was too late.

Yang snickered, eyes alight with laughter as she released Weiss' arm. "All done."

"What does it say?" Ruby asked.

The heiress began to read. _'I guess you won't be giving Jaune any handj-'_ Her ears grew hot. "Give me that marker!"

"Come and get it~"

* * *

Yang Xiao Long sighed contently as she strolled down the hall, putting her team's dorm behind her. She pushed through the double doors that led outside, and took a deep breath, basking in the afternoon sun.

It was good to have Weiss back. Without her there, things were just... boring. Ruby hadn't been nearly as _Ruby-ish_ while the princess was in the infirmary, and Blake had been even less talkative than normal as well.

Looking back on it, Yang realized she herself hadn't exactly been acting normally either. There was some odd kind of tension. They knew she was fine, they'd been told multiple times, but seeing was believing.

When Yang saw Weiss in the infirmary that morning, she felt like she was ten times lighter.

The only thing left now was dealing with Weiss herself.

So far, that hadn't been too difficult a task. Aside from what seemed like some rather bizarre mood swings on the heiress' part – and the little rampage Yang signing her cast had caused – Weiss had been fine. Yang wasn't sure what she should have been prepared for, so she'd tried to be prepared for everything.

With the heiress snoozing in the mid-afternoon, Yang's sister and partner watching over her, the blonde found herself with some free time. She'd considered seeing what JNPR was doing for a brief moment, but figured that wouldn't be the best idea.

Yang stretched her hands high above her head as she wandered through Beacon's courtyard. She wasn't hungry, so the cafeteria was out. She didn't have a sparring partner, unless she could track down CRDL, and who knew if they'd even agree?

The blonde looked to her right, and sighed. The library.

She stopped, put her hands on her hips, and hummed in thought. It wasn't really her first choice, but there had to be something there she could do, right? If not, she could always see if there was something good to read.

Shrugging, Yang began to walk towards the library's doors. It wasn't like she really had anything better to do. She couldn't play games in the dorm while Weiss was sleeping – or rather, she wouldn't – and sitting around doing nothing wasn't an option either.

' _Maybe I can see if there's something Ruby would like_.'

Yang pulled open the door, stepping inside the building. It was slightly cooler in there than it was outside, but she didn't really mind.

"It's big..." Yang noted to herself, impressed. There were rows and rows of bookshelves on either side of her, with a number of desks lining the hall between them. She could see the tops of more shelves – likely containing more books – on the second floor. "How am I supposed to look for anything in here?"

Someone coughed, and Yang looked over. There was a man, sitting behind a desk, flipping through a book. From what the blonde could tell, he seemed to be one of the staff. After taking a second or two to reason with herself, she walked over.

As she got closer, she squinted, reading the title of the book the man was so invested in. She grinned. "Excuse me?"

The man slammed the book down in surprise. "Yes!" He practically shouted, before his face flushed red and he shrunk in on himself, setting his book to the side. "Ah, sorry. Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if there were any books on fairy tales or myths in here?"

The library worker adjusted his glasses. "Uh, I'm sure we do, just a second." The man swiveled in his chair, turning to the terminal that was there. "That's certainly an odd request. A project of some kind?"

"Personal use, actually." Yang stated, crossing her arms, still grinning at the ammunition she had.

"Personal use? Like, you're going to read them for fun?"

"Yeah."

"I see. Anything specific you're looking for?"

"Not really."

Yang got a hum in response, the man typing away at the terminal. "Alright... Second floor, section C, row thirteen. There should be a few books on one of the shelves there. Is that everything?"

' _Darn_.' "That's all, thank you."

The blonde frowned as she made her way to the stairs. She'd really wanted to use the fact that he'd been reading that _Ninjas_ _of Love_ book Blake was trying so hard to hide. Perhaps she'd get another opportunity later. If not, she could always tell her partner that there was a man who worked in the library who shared her literary taste.

That would be good for a laugh. Yang's grin returned.

She counted off the numbers as she strolled down section 'C', ducking into the aisle between rows twelve and thirteen. She scanned the spines of the books, listing off both familiar and unfamiliar titles. She crouched down, pulled one of the thicker books off the shelf and dusted it off.

Yang sighed as she closed it. "Just because a picture's worth a thousand words doesn't mean you can replace a picture with _that many words_."

"That's certainly an interesting way to think of it."

The blonde glanced up at Beacon's headmaster. "Right?" She slid the book back into its place, before she realized who was there, and stood abruptly. "Oh, Professor Ozpin!"

"Hello." The man knelt down, pulling an equally thick book from the shelf. "Looking to get some light reading done, while your team has some time off?"

The blonde blinked. She hadn't really had much of a chance to speak with the headmaster on any occasion. "Sort of." The blonde smiled lightly.

Professor Ozpin raised an eyebrow in response, taking a sip from the mug he had with him.

"I'm actually looking for something for Ruby to read to Weiss." Yang snickered. "I thought it would be kinda funny, you know?"

The headmaster chuckled. "I suppose that would be quite the interesting scenario." The man tucked the book he'd taken from the shelf under his arm. "How is she?"

"Weiss?" The tall man nodded. "She's fine, I think... If she's not fine, she's doing a damn good job hiding it."

"I see. When you get a chance, tell her the items she and Mr. Arc left behind at the docks are with me in my office." The man's mouth curled into a light smile. "And let them know they'll have to come and get them together."

Yang tilted her head at the odd request. "I'll let her know." The blonde thought upon the headmaster's words as he began to walk away. "Wait, they were at the docks?"

There were a few seconds before Professor Ozpin answered. "I'm sure she'd tell you everything if you ask. But..." The man stopped, looking over his shoulder. "You haven't asked for a reason."

The girl didn't know how to respond to that, and after a moment's wait, the headmaster walked out of sight. Yang took a deep breath, turning back to the shelf.

"Well, that was weird."

It took a few minutes, but eventually Yang descended the library's stairs with a couple books in hand. She strode over to the desk where the library worker was back to reading, and placed the books on the desk there. The man didn't take notice at first, so Yang just sighed, looking around.

Her eyes settled on a head with a familiar shade of yellow, and she tilted her head. It was Jaune, sitting at one of the desks along the massive hall, by himself. He looked to be on one of the terminals. Yang looked to the man at the desk, then back to Jaune. She drew her lips tight.

"Excuse me?" She finally decided. The man slammed his book flat on the desk again, much like the first time. "I'd like to check these out."

* * *

The man sighed, sliding the thick book back on the desk before him. He turned his chair around, tenting his fingers as he looked out at the auburn sky.

No matter what he did, he would never have enough time.

Ozpin stood, reaching for his cane. He turned his chair back around, and strode over to the window, looking down at a team of his students – CFVY, this time – walking through the courtyard below.

"Ozpin?"

The headmaster looked over his shoulder, taking note of the blonde that was his most trusted colleague. "Glynda. You let yourself in."

"Considering you were staring out the window for the five minutes I've been here, that's a good thing."

Looking up at the hands of the clock, the man grimaced.

' _That long already..._ '

The man sat at his desk again. "What do you need?"

Glynda Goodwitch slid a folder across the desk. "The documentation of the VPD's investigation into the events that occurred the other evening. They also requested you share anything you learned from the students you refused to let them interview."

"Of course they did." The headmaster noted. "I'll have something written up for them by tomorrow."

Another folder was slid across the desk. "Those are the requisition forms that explicitly need your approval – as per usual, they're just things I couldn't simply sign off on my own."

"Understood."

"And lastly..." Ozpin looked up at the blonde woman. She sounded uncertain. "...Never mind. It's nothing important."

"I have time." He kicked himself mentally.

"Well... It's just something that was bothering me personally... but have you been drinking more coffee than normal recently?"

The headmaster blinked, furrowing his brow. "Not necessarily. What makes you think that?"

"The teacher's lounge has been running out of coffee much more frequently in the past month or so. I was wondering if your drinking habits had changed, and we needed to adjust our budget to accommodate."

Ozpin kept a straight face, despite how he was smiling on the inside. "It wouldn't hurt to adjust the budget regardless. What's a few extra lien spent on coffee?"

Glynda glowered in response, shaking her head slightly. "Figures."

"Maybe someone is making too much and it evaporates?" Ozpin suggested, trying to lead the woman off the real trail.

The woman's expression twisted into one of confusion. "Coffee evaporates?"

"I wouldn't know. I always finish mine."

"...Fair enough." Ozpin's deputy sighed. "I suppose I'll adjust the budget. Was there anything you needed to discuss with me?"

The man considered the book he'd pulled from Beacon's library earlier with a glance, but shook his head in the negative. "Nothing now, no."

"Then I suppose I'll take my leave."

"Have yourself a good evening."

The blonde woman stalked away, her heels clicking against the floor. She turned, facing inwards as the elevator closed. When the doors finally shut, Ozpin afforded himself a small chuckle, looking across his office to one of the shelves along the far wall.

Atop it rested two matching thermoses.

* * *

 **There we go, another chapter done!**

 **Gee, I wonder what Jaune's up to... I hope he's okay. Maybe (read: certainly) we'll find out soon.**

 **Later!**


	20. Incentive

**Hey everybody! Sorry about the huge delay on this chapter. I dissolve my deadlines, and then the next update is around two weeks late? I blame Gundam.**

 **Anyways, I suppose I should just be happy I somehow found 'inspiration' to actually get this chapter out. * _cough*_ _Nagging Beta_ * _cough_ *. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy! **

* * *

_Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"It's all about finding the right incentive."_

* * *

Everything was black. The first thing he felt was his neck, sore beyond belief. He'd have moved to stretch it, or something, but he just... didn't have the desire to. He felt a hand grip his shoulder, and gently jostle him. He ignored it, and it shook him a little more vigorously.

"It's too early to get up..." He grumbled into the hard surface his face was pressed against.

"Hey. _Hey_. Wake up. You can't sleep here."

The boy groaned, slowly opening his eyes. The world was sideways, and he instantly regretted waking up. Reds and oranges filled his vision as he blinked his sleep away.

His head hurt.

"I mean, it's not like you're not allowed to sleep here, but I've got to lock up the library." The voice droned on. "I'd imagine no one wants to be stuck in the library when they wake up. I mean, you could always jump out of a window, but..."

After a moment, Jaune turned his head, his neck popping lightly as he did so. With tired eyes, he looked up at the man who disturbed his rest.

"What time is it?" He asked, words slurred by his tiredness.

"About half past ten." The man responded, adjusting his glasses.

Jaune nodded slowly, pushing himself up. He rubbed at his cheek, tender from resting on the desk before him. He arched his back as he stretched, his spine thankful for the relief.

"Thanks for waking me." Jaune said half-heartedly. He would have preferred to have slept a little longer, but it was probably best that he wasn't trapped in...

The library...

That didn't seem fun at all.

"I'll come back around in case you fall asleep again, but try to be out of here by eleven."

The blond yawned and nodded, and the man walked down the row of desks, playing with his keys. Before the man turned corner around a bookshelf, Jaune took note of the weapon strapped to his lower back. Apparently, even the librarian had some kind of combat training. It didn't surprise him; he just hadn't considered it before.

If even the librarian had training, then what the hell was he doing at Beacon as a student?

Blinking, Jaune turned himself forwards. What had he been doing, before he passed out? The monitor in front of him was dark, so Jaune tapped one of the keys as he rubbed at his face, and the screen sprung to life, making him wince from the sudden brightness. He read the title of the article he'd last been looking at, and everything came back to him.

"Ah, right."

Roman Torchwick. The bastard who hurt Weiss.

The boy closed the article on the screen, before stretching his arms high above his head. A moment passed, and he pulled his scroll from his pocket. The shades of red and orange that had filled his vision as he'd woken were long gone, the sun likely having finally dipped below the horizon.

Jaune opened up his scroll's search function. He typed the name that seemed to echo in his mind, and flitted through the titles of the articles that were familiar, until he found one that wasn't. One he hadn't read before. The articles themselves didn't really tell him much – most of them rehashing the same stuff over and over again – but he continued reading anyway. The more he knew, the more prepared he'd be if they would cross paths again.

When they crossed paths again.

The blond put a hand to his chest, taking a deep breath. The shrill scream Weiss had let out when the man stomped on her wrist haunted him. Hell, he was surprised he had to be woken just moments ago. It had typically been his dreams – his nightmares – that had been doing that over the past couple days.

It was all in his head, he knew: Weiss' face, pained blue eyes staring up at him in disbelief, the man laughing as the stomping never ceased. Neither did her screams. He couldn't save her. He didn't save her.

He never did.

Jaune shivered, sliding his scroll closed. He needed to get outside.

The cool outside air hit Jaune's face as he pushed open the door, and he took a deep breath in. He blinked quickly, the action providing the illusion of wakefulness. His joints were still sore from his uncomfortable sleep, and he was sure passing out in his armor didn't help. From what he remembered, he'd gone to the library right after he'd done his morning training.

The boy frowned. That didn't seem right. When had he eaten last?

His stomach growled.

Jaune shook his head, offering himself a half-hearted chuckle. Did he really just spent the entire day doing nothing but training and reading articles in the library?

It didn't feel right. Then again, _nothing_ felt right.

The boy sighed, feeling drowsy once more as he began to drag his feet in the direction of the dorms. It was well past time for the cafeteria to have closed down for the day, but there was probably something in the fridge of the common room he could eat. He could try making something, but...

No, that was a bad idea. The last time he'd tried cooking was... Probably three years ago. His sisters would never forgive him for that; they'd said so themselves. Even his dad had tried to shovel it down with a strained smile on his face, before he rushed to the bathroom.

Yeah, cooking himself was a no. Unless there was something he could toss in the microwave.

Jaune blinked, coming to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. He hadn't thought about his family in a while.

Why was he thinking about them now?

Shaking his head vigorously, he strode towards the dorm building's entrance, making his way inside. Not a soul in sight – though Jaune didn't really expect anyone to be around. A couple flights of stairs, and a short walk later, he was illuminated by the light cast by the open fridge, scanning the shelves.

' _Not ours... not ours..._ _cookies in the fridge_? _Ruby's_...'

Jaune glanced up to the top shelf. There were the leftovers from the cake Nora had baked the other day. The blond narrowed his eyes at it, before he scanned the shelves again. He got halfway down the entire fridge, before he looked back at the cake again.

"Screw it." The boy pulled the entire plate of cake from the shelf, closing the fridge's door. He grabbed a fork from one of the drawers, and sat on the couch with close to an entire quarter of chocolate cake balanced on his lap.

He took a forkful, and devoured it.

Nora baked a damn good cake.

* * *

"I _told_ you, this isn't necessary!"

Blake rolled her eyes as she looked up from her book, seeing the red-clad girl pulling their room's solitary chair up next to Weiss' bed. The faunus girl pinched the bridge of her nose. She had to agree with Weiss: This certainly wasn't necessary.

"Wait, you don't want me to read to you until you fall asleep?" Ruby asked, genuinely surprised at the concept.

"That's exactly what I mean." Weiss practically seethed, arms crossed before her chest. The heiress was propped up against a mass of pillows, sitting up slightly. Blake could tell she didn't necessarily look pleased.

It didn't take a genius to see that Weiss didn't appreciate the way Ruby was treating her. Blake actually felt a little guilty herself, as she'd been thinking along the same lines not long ago. It wasn't necessarily an unfamiliar situation at all: Weiss didn't want the attention, and everyone else seemed to believe she needed it.

As far as that went, Ruby was the most eager: Throughout the day, she'd offer to do anything for Weiss, and the heiress would either accept or deny the offer politely – though Blake could tell from the white-haired girl's expression and mannerisms that she didn't like it. Even on the occasion Weiss had asked for help, it was obvious she didn't want to.

Blake frowned to herself as Ruby pulled her chair closer to Weiss' bed, the heiress sighing in resignation. The last thing Blake wanted to do is seem cold, so she'd offered assistance on occasion as well.

In all honesty though, Blake couldn't really tell what the heiress actually needed help with. If she knew she'd be okay with certain things, Blake could just leave her be.

The faunus girl felt something heavy land on her mattress next to her legs. She turned her eyes to Yang, the blonde girl stretching her arms high above her head.

Blake tilted her head. "Need something?" She asked, keeping her voice down so only Yang could hear.

"Nope." Yang answered casually, turning to her with a light smile on her face. "Just wanted to sit with you."

Blake pulled her legs back, giving her partner more room to sit. The blonde's smile grew, and she leaned back in a more relaxing position.

Looking back down at her book, committing where she was to memory, Blake closed it and set it aside. She watched her partner as the girl watched Ruby.

There was no way Yang didn't realize Weiss' predicament herself, so Blake wondered why she was so supportive of Ruby's badgering. It wasn't as if it wasn't obvious. It seemed Yang had taken a similar approach to Blake's: only offering assistance when she was absolutely certain Weiss needed it.

If that was the case and Yang realized Weiss' discomfort, then why was she enabling Ruby?

"Weiss has been putting up a strong front, hasn't she?"

Blake blinked at Yang's words, quiet enough only she could hear them. The faunus girl turned to look towards Weiss' bed, seeing Ruby energetically reading from one of the books Yang brought back from the library. It looked just as it had moments ago, but Yang's words stuck.

Weiss seemed uncomfortable, but the rare smiles she was cracking at Ruby's recital weren't just a front when the younger girl would look up at her partner. They seemed genuine.

Had she been wrong then?

...No, Blake was certain she wasn't wrong. The whole time she'd known Weiss, it was obvious the girl was prideful. Regardless of Blake's own, skewed opinion, she recognized that. Weiss cared about her appearances: the time she spent on her make-up in the morning, her test scores... It was likely hard for her to accept help with anything.

Her being injured, and people coddling her on top of that? Not a doubt in Blake's mind the girl wouldn't appreciate the attention.

But she was smiling earnestly as Ruby read to her from a picture book, her eyes shining. She looked so happy, for some reason, in those brief moments before she looked uncomfortable again.

"Does she..." Blake started, feeling Yang turn towards her. "...No, that can't be it."

"Hm?" Yang let out.

"It's nothing. For a second there, I was just thinking she was trying to hide that she's enjoying this."

Yang snorted in amusement. "Nah, I don't think so." The blonde turned back to the other two. "If anything, I think she just appreciates the thought."

"Heh." Blake reached to her side for the book, flipping it to the page she was last on, not saying anything else in response. Blake could hear the soft voice with which Ruby told the story of _The Girl in the Tower_ , and the occasional sound of acknowledgement from Weiss.

"What are the odds we're both wrong?" Yang asked.

"I dunno." Blake answered, flipping a page of her book, enjoying the peace and relative quiet.

* * *

Jaune took a deep breath in, holding his sword close to his shield. His hands felt wet in his gloves. Gripping the hilt of his blade tightly, it was almost like he was wringing out a towel as the sweat fell.

He swung his blade, using his shield to protect his extended arm as he moved. Light, quick stabs. Heavy slashes. Shield bashes. He did it all. In the past couple of days, he hadn't really been thinking while he'd been exercising. He'd been swinging his sword arm around recklessly. But this morning, he was keen on returning to proper form.

Adjusting his footing, he moved again. With a focus on keeping his stance tight, he moved from left to right, forwards, and backwards, prepared to do whatever he might have had to. If he had to dodge, he would be able to dodge; if he had to block, he could block.

But he didn't have to do anything. There wasn't a girl in a white dress in front of him.

Jaune blinked.

The boy twirled the blade in his hand to hold it in a reverse grip. Weiss certainly would have chastised him for doing something like that.

He brought the pommel of his sword up high, and sheathed the blade in his shield. The shield collapsed, and he panted heavily, holding his weapon tight.

"You are a hard worker."

Jaune turned in the direction of the voice, reaching for the towel he'd tucked into his back pocket. Standing off to the side of the training area Jaune and Weiss had frequented, was the mountain of a man who was a familiar sight, usually off in the corner, lifting weights.

Jaune greeted the second year with a faint smile and a nod, still panting. "You're... Yatsuhashi? Did I pronounce that right?"

The boy nodded his shaved head. "When I started watching you today, you seemed sloppy. Your movements were rigid, and not in a good way."

Straightening his back in an effort to stand taller, Jaune wasn't sure what to make of the criticism. He didn't know the guy well enough to know whether he was trying to help, or just being an asshole, but his words didn't seem overly hostile.

"But you started to improve towards the end. Motions were smoother. Precise." Yatsuhashi stared at Jaune, the boy nodding once in return. "There's something troubling you, and in those last moments, you didn't remember that. You focused on what you were doing, not on your troubles."

Jaune stood there, Crocea Mors and its sheath clutched in his hand. He didn't know what to say.

"Does it have something to do with why your training partner hasn't been around?"

The blond took in a deep breath, both annoyed and frightened that someone he barely knew had been able to guess it so easily. If a second year student who he'd only talked to once or twice could see it... then anyone could.

And he still hadn't told anyone aside from the headmaster what had happened. He'd wanted to talk to Weiss first.

But he couldn't.

"Yeah..." Jaune let out after a moment, looking to his feet. He put the point of his sword's sheathed blade against the floor, and rested against it.

"Would you like to spar?"

Snapping his head up, Jaune looked over to the taller boy, who moved into position across from him. The blond looked back down to his feet, seeing he was actually standing in the marked area for the beginning of a match. It actually made him chuckle a bit. For some reason, the offer energized him. The thought of fighting with someone - anyone - made him excited. He didn't care that he wouldn't be at his best - that he'd just spent an hour going through his exercises.

"Yes! Yes of course I would!" Jaune answered eagerly. He drew his sword, the shield springing out along his arm. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to move. Jaune took note of his opponent's stance as the tall second-year pulled his massive blade out from behind his back.

He was going to lose. He knew that, but he didn't care. He wanted to fight.

"I won't hold back." Yatsuhashi declared, holding his massive blade before him.

Jaune smiled to himself at that. The words were offered in warning, so Jaune would be prepared. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He responded.

Yatsuhashi grinned, something that simply looked out of place to Jaune. "Begin!"

Jaune prepared to move as the man rushed him, his large sword held close and ready to strike. It had one edge, but a vicious looking hook along the inside of its curve that Jaune was sure he'd have to be wary of.

There was one thing Jaune was absolutely certain of, and that was that he didn't want to risk blocking. Simply put, Yatsuhashi was big, his sword was big, and the weights he lifted were big. He'd probably crush through any block Jaune tried to put up. Attempting to parry any attacks would probably just end in disaster as well.

That left him two options: deflecting and dodging.

It would have seemed to anyone else that Yatsuhashi was going to swing from the right, but after spending so much time sparring with Weiss, Jaune could pick up the movements and cues that were signs of a feint. The way the man's wrists were, and his hands' positions on the hilt, Jaune began to move his shield and adjust his footing for the strike that was certainly coming from the left-

The blade whipped towards him from the right, and Jaune was forced to reposition his arms as quickly as he could, blocking the strike off-balance and unprepared. With his mouth agape, Jaune was sent tumbling as the sheer force of the strike picked him up off his feet. He let out a gasp as he finally slowed himself by rolling, and clambered to his feet.

He had no time to recover, or to think. He had to move. He stepped back as the tip of Yatsuhashi's sword buried itself in the floor where he'd just been standing. He was nowhere near fast enough though, as the sword came back up, the hook catching on the lip of his shield. Jaune was tugged towards the larger boy, where a palm was thrusted straight into his chestplate.

The boy blinked up at the ceiling. He couldn't remember even hitting the ground. He pushed himself up, just to find the tip of a blade at his throat.

"You're not watching me properly." Yatsuhashi mentioned, before hefting his sword over his shoulder, offering Jaune a hand.

Jaune just laid there, stunned. "H-how? I watched your wrists and-"

"I was watching your eyes the entire time." Yatsuhashi stated. "You were too focused on one thing, you missed others. Like you say, you watched my wrists." The older student re-gripped his blade in the same way he had when he'd first attacked Jaune, but otherwise stood straight up, normally. "Does this look right to you?"

The boy had to admit he was confused, as he picked himself up. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Would I be able to attack you how I am right now?" The boy continued to stand there, blade held awkwardly.

' _Oh_!' "Your knees aren't bent, and it doesn't look like you're ready to strike at all." Jaune noted.

"Right. So if I stand like this..." The boy got into a position that looked much less awkward and more prepared. "Now what does it look like? Where am I going to attack from?"

Jaune looked to the boy's wrists first. ' _The_ _left_. _No_...'

The way Yatsuhashi's body was turned, the leg he had forward, even the way his neck was tilted. It didn't look like he was going to strike from the left at all. Or directly from the right.

"You'd go for an underhand slash, from the bottom right?" Jaune guessed.

"You realize it now?" Yatsuhashi moved slowly, going through the motion Jaune had apparently predicted correctly. "You can't just watch one thing and make guesses. Let's start again, only this time I _will_ hold back."

Jaune nodded reluctantly, before taking up position as Yatsuhashi put distance between them.

"Begin!"

* * *

Nora yawned, stretching her arms high above her head as she lay back on her bed. It was a dreary and depressing day, the sun hidden behind dark clouds that would rain, and then decide not to rain, only to rain again.

The mood in the dorm room didn't seem to help either, on that front. Ren was focusing on doing the schoolwork they'd have to catch up on, seeing as they'd been given classes off on account of whatever happened with Jaune, and Pyrrha was... still as odd as she had been the past few days.

Nora hadn't even seen Jaune since the early morning, when he left. She'd learned from Ren that he came back to the room after she'd fallen asleep the night before, without saying anything. He didn't even say anything before he left in the morning, aside from a quick 'bye'.

It was frustrating. She didn't even have the chance to talk to him.

Nora sat up, throwing her legs over the side of her mattress, hitting her heels softly against the bedframe as she swung them. She didn't like the atmosphere, but she couldn't change it. She'd already tried.

Nobody seemed up for anything without Jaune around.

Nora stood, humming. She didn't want to put it bluntly, but they had a problem right now, and that problem seemed to be Jaune. She knew Pyrrha had talked to him that one night and had come back looking better, but things just seemed to get worse from there.

"I'm going out for a bit." She decided aloud.

The girl only got a pair of nods in response as she made her way over to the door. She opened it, and looked back at her two teammates. Ren was too invested in a textbook to say much else, and Pyrrha just smiled a dull smile her way.

The orange haired girl sighed, closing the door behind her.

The sound seemed to echo from in front her, and Nora looked up. A taller girl in black and white turned towards her, and Nora frowned reactively. Amber eyes met her own, and narrowed.

They didn't say anything to each other, and Nora turned to leave beginning to walk. Looking back, she found Blake Belladonna was headed in the same direction.

' _This isn't what I need right now_...'

"Why are you following me?" Nora asked accusingly.

"I'm not." Blake shot back. "We're just going in the same direction."

Nora glared at the girl out of the corner of her eye. "Where are you going then?"

"Why does it matter?"

Huffing in response, Nora crossed her arms. "So we don't go the same place."

"You're not going anywhere in particular, then?"

Nora wheeled on the girl, feeling the blood pump in her veins. But the moment she turned to face Blake, the girl's words registered fully; they weren't filled with any venom, nor were they overly hostile – the black haired girl simply stared her down, as she stopped, waiting for a response.

The hammer wielder took a deep, calming breath. "I just... needed to get out of the dorm for a little while." Nora didn't exactly feel like elaborating, especially to someone she'd had such a big spat with recently, and currently considered an 'enemy', in an odd sense of the term.

"Then we're in a similar situation." Nora narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Ruby and Yang are being a little _too_ considerate, and Weiss isn't exactly in a good mood as a result."

Nora hummed, turning to continue walking. She didn't really want to start small talk with the girl at all, but her curiosity and concern nagged at her to ask: "How is she?"

"What?"

"Weiss. How is she? I don't think anyone from our teams have talked since... well, whatever happened." Nora explained, looking to her feet. She hoped Blake wasn't thinking of their fight, but rather the incident involving Jaune and Weiss. "Did... Weiss tell you guys anything about what happened?"

"...No, she didn't." Blake let out a sigh. "I'm going to assume Jaune hasn't said anything either."

"He barely talks at all. Whatever happened..." Nora clicked her tongue. "We haven't really asked though. We're waiting for him to say something himself."

She knew what it was like to not want to talk about something...

Rather than walking as far apart from each other as they had, Nora moved closer to the middle of the hall, as did Blake – hostility forgotten for the sake of learning more about their teammates' situations. "We don't want to pressure Weiss about it." Blake said. "Not with her injury and, well, how moody she's been."

Nora hummed in agreement. She could only imagine. "How bad is it? I heard something happened to her arm, but that's about it."

"It was bad. Very bad, apparently. You heard she had surgery, at least?" The orange haired girl nodded in response. "She apparently has rods of metal holding her bone fragments together."

Nora winces. "That sounds awful."

"Yeah, it makes things complicated..." The other girl trailed off, and Nora turned to look at her, Blake's eyes staring at the floor before her as she walked.

"Blake?" Nora offered.

The black haired girl's head snapped up. "Yes? What is it?"

"I..." Nora still felt the exact same about what they'd discussed either, but she had to admit... looking back, she certainly overreacted. "I'm sorr-"

"Don't." Blake abruptly cut off.

Nora felt a spark of rage light inside of her. "What was that?" She growled at Blake, the girl's bright yellow eyes meeting hers. She'd actually almost felt like-

"I said, don't. You don't need to apologize." The girl restated, cutting off Nora's train of thought. Blake turned her head forwards, face impassive. "We were both right, back then, in our own ways. I'd rather we just agree to disagree, and move on. What happened with Weiss and Jaune is hardly the only reason our teams are avoiding each other..."

Nora clicked her tongue as she looked aside, annoyed at how bluntly the girl pointed that out. "I'm aware." Ren thought he was being subtle, making suggestions to 'eat at a different table' or 'maybe do our training later'. She took in a breath, turning to face the girl once more. "So you're suggesting we put everything aside for now?"

"That's what I'm suggesting, yes."

Nora didn't want to argue with it. If anything, she missed hanging out with RWBY. Maybe, if they got the teams back together, they'd actually learn what was wrong with Jaune – and Weiss. Pyrrha wouldn't be acting the way she was, and – most importantly – Ren would stop looking so disappointed and depressed.

The girl sighed to herself. "Okay." She looked up to Blake with a smile that was _maybe_ a little too hard to muster. "I'll do it."

Blake had a small smile on her face at well. "I do expect an apology for you calling me a bitch though."

Nora face heated up at that, a little embarrassed at being called out like that. "You'll get it later."

* * *

The man let a heavy breath out through his nostrils, literally blowing smoke, before he gives the lit cigar in his mouth a long, steady draw. The smoke filling his lungs – a calming presence, after spending more than half his life enjoying the small comfort – he sighed, tapping his cane against the floor.

"Now, tell me, you..." He brings his cane up, pointing at the uniformed animal not too far in front of him as he walked towards her. Resting the tip of his cane in the center of the woman's chest, between her breasts, he glared past the slits of her mask, staring into the darkness behind it. "You..." He pulls the cigar from his mouth, dousing the smoldering end with his gloved thumb, putting it out to enjoy later. " _You_... only managed to bring back _one_ crate?"

Below the White Fanged member's mask, Roman watched the woman's mouth open, stuttering out a response. "T-the ones wh-who were supposed to be carrying the b-b-boxes to the B-Bullhead, they-"

Roman, already being frustrated, delivered a sharp jab to the woman's chest, and she staggered back. " _Speak_ , you animal! Did you not even learn to do that properly? I swear, if I wasn't so strapped for Lien in providing you guys with the materials _we_ needed to pull of this last heist – a heist that _you_ all botched – I'd have strung you up out in Forever Fall and gone and purchased some better help – likely some with actual, working, _human_ brains!"

The heavy industrial fans just on the other side of the wall dulled the noises from the warehouse, and vice versa. The circus troupe moving Dust down below wouldn't hear a thing, so Roman allowed himself to vent freely.

"But, it wasn't just enough that we didn't make off with all of it, no." The rogue continued. "You, and your crew, had the audacity to come back with _one_. _Lousy_. _Crate_?"

Roman punctuated each word with a jab of his cane, pushing the dirty animal back with each strike until she was up against the wall. "Maybe you'd like me to tell your _commander_ just how much of a colossal failure you were?" The self-proclaimed master criminal didn't even need to see her eyes: He could practically smell the woman's fear. "Or maybe... you would rather actually do your _fucking_ job for once?"

The Faunus didn't respond, Roman able to feel her heartbeat through his tight grip on his cane. He didn't have to hear the woman's answer to know what it was. "Get the hell out, and get to work."

She didn't respond immediately, mouth agape.

Roman removed the cane from the animal's chest, instead jabbing it right next to her head, on the opposite side from the door to his office. The cement wall cracked a little at the impact. " _Now_."

" _Right_!" The woman's terrified voice echoed in the office, before she ran towards the door, opening and closing it quickly, as if she'd had a fire lit beneath her. Roman sighed to himself, balancing his cane across his shoulders as he wandered back towards his desk. On the outside, he afforded himself a wide smile. His eyes went up to meet the mismatched ones of Neo, and he continued to smile, the girl sitting on a stool in the corner.

Neo gave him a brittle smile back, but it was just a courtesy.

Because she knew how he really felt.

" _Fuck_!" Roman roared, swinging his cane down with all of his rage on the desk before him, the hard wood splintering as the metal bludgeon cracked the desk in two. He breathed heavily, twisting his wrist, and his next target – the lamp that had sat atop said desk – shattered upon contact with his swing, sending shards of glass across the floor. " _Fuck Beacon_! _Fuck its students_! _And most importantly, fuck its headmaster_!" He threw Melodic Cudgel against the far wall of his temporary office, the metal bouncing harmlessly against the cement.

He stood there, breathing heavily for a few moments, before he removed his hat, and ran a gloved hand through his hair. It wasn't good. She was going to be here soon, after that short trip of hers. And it wasn't the White Fang – useless as the animals were – that she'd blame for their recent failure.

The man let out a shuddering breath, returning his hat atop his head before he fished in his jacket for his lighter, retrieving his half smoked cigar from his pocket. He set it aflame once more, and gave it a long drag as he turned his head skyward, letting out a long stream of smoke.

"Neo." Roman looked over to the diminutive girl – an apt description, though she'd probably have stabbed him if she knew he'd thought that, despite the time they'd spent together. Now that they finally had things under control again, and they didn't have to worry about law enforcement for a while, they could move on. And he could work on... other things. "Did you see the face of that one student when you arrived? The boy? The girl was the Schnee heiress, so you won't have to worry about her."

As Roman stepped between the splintered halves of his desk, Neo nodded.

"Find out everything you can about him. Go to police stations, public schools, private schools, Signal... But don't risk Beacon itself. That damn headmaster..." The man sat in his chair, crossing his legs. Everyone knew about the famous Professor Ozpin – the ' _enigmatic headmaster of Beacon Academy_ '. Roman couldn't trust anything involving him. At this point, after everything he'd been involved in, if his very name was on a piece of paper, Roman would feel compelled to burn it. "I wouldn't be surprised if he noticed you when you spotted him. Every time he gets involved, everything goes to hell..."

Neo hopped off her stool, walking over. Roman looked up to her, cigar still burning in his mouth. She tilted her head, her multi-colored locks bouncing along.

"Yes, go now." Roman confirmed.

The girl nodded, before seeming to blink from existence.

Roman sighed, leaning back in his chair. " _What did I do to deserve such awful luck_?"

After finishing his cigar, the man stood, dusting off his pants as he made his way towards where his cane had laid after he threw it. He picked it up, and made his way over to the exit. Pushing his way out onto the catwalk running along the length of the warehouse, he overlooked his operation. Crates upon crates of Dust, stacked neatly and orderly.

It was enough. There was no way it wouldn't have been enough. He hadn't yelled at that stupid faunus bitch because 'their plans were ruined', or any of that droll. He'd done it out of principle. She wouldn't make another mistake until her time under him came to an end.

Roman tugged at his collar, looking out over the crates as he walked above them.

' _It'll be enough, right_?'

The man stepped onto the small lift, pressing the button to start his descent. As he got closer to the ground, he looked around at the white uniformed faunus, some carrying crates or stacking them, and one or two with a rifle in hand, ready to fight in case any... _surprises_... showed up.

He turned his head, and anyone who'd might have been glaring or glowering at him instantly got back to work. It was a shame he hadn't caught them.

They knew who he was. They knew what he could do. Most importantly, they all knew what he could do to _them_. Roman stepped off the lift, making his way over to the map of Vale he'd pinned to the wall, looking over the numerous markings he'd made over the past couple of months.

"Ah, there you are, _Roman_."

The voice sends a chill through his spine – and not the good kind either. His hands tremble for a moment before he steels himself, turning around as he held a surprised smile on his face. "Cinder!" He spreads his arms in an open greeting. "I wasn't aware you had arrived! Nobody came and told me..." He trails off as he looks to the side.

"Don't play the fool." Cinder's sultry, yet toxic voice called out. "You knew I'd be here."

Roman's eyes flicker to the two young looking people to Cinder's right, though he dismisses them in favor of responding to the woman to whom he answered. "You never gave me an exact time. I just assumed you'd be here later."

"Don't make assumptions. It's an easy way to end up dead."

' _Don't I know it_...' Hit by a sudden spark of inspiration, Roman smiles more naturally. "Well, I'm _assuming_ you heard about what happened regarding the Schnee shipment then."

The dangerous woman crosses her arms, unamused. "Failure isn't something you should be happy about, my dear Roman..."

If the woman wasn't able to kill him with a snap of her fingers, he'd have responded with sarcasm. But... "There's something the papers don't talk about. Headmaster Ozpin himself is the reason our heist was unsuccessful."

The woman blinked in what Roman hoped was amusement. "Oh?"

"He arrived at the scene, not long after two of his students attempted to prevent the robbery. One was a boy, Neo is looking into him. And the other was Weiss Schnee, the heiress."

Cinder's lips were drawn tight as she hummed. "Interesting. We'll converse about this more in your office, then." The woman finally breaks eye contact, and Roman is allowed a brief respite as she turns to her companions. "Emerald. Mercury. Make yourselves useful. I will return in a moment." She meets his eyes once more, the man swallowing the lump in his throat. "Come along. We have a lot to talk about."

Roman nods in response, the easy grin still pasted on his face, despite the sweltering fear inside of him.

' _The things I do to survive_.'


	21. A Much Needed Talk

**Hey everyone! How are you all doing? I'm doing fine myself. Classes starting back up for the summer have been going good, and I've been having a lot of fun (read: sleepless nights) trying to make sure I can still do the things I want as well.**

 **Nevertheless, I'm here to get this chapter to you! I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"Who is Round, and to what does he object?"_

* * *

Jaune grunted as he pushed back with his shield, letting out a breath and swinging his sword low, forcing his agile opponent to retreat.

He was not having the best time trying to take down Ren, but he was hoping he could change that. He had to lift the heavy metal along his arm before him to ward off a quick burst from Ren's machine pistols, running towards him as the impacts reverberated through his arm.

Ren had always had a range advantage over him. Every member of his team did, but he'd learned – thanks to Weiss, mostly – he had something they didn't.

The rounds pinged uselessly against his shield as Jaune rushed his opponent for this exercise. Of his team, only Nora proved to be a problem at a distance now. Ren's pistols didn't pack enough of a punch, and while Pyrrha's rifle did, he could shrug them off just as well if he knew they were coming.

Would it be too cocky of him to tell them there wasn't a point?

Ren seemed to notice his ranged assault wasn't doing much, Jaune peeking out from behind his shield to watch him as the distance between them closed.

The moment Ren's leg lashed out, Jaune realized he'd made a mistake.

The blond dropped his shield to block the strike, and let go of it, seeing one of Stormflower's blades hooked over the top. When Ren yanked the shield to the side – sending it flying instead of dragging Jaune in like the boy thought it might - his eyes widened.

Jaune clutched Crocea Mors with both hands, swinging for Ren's midsection. The blond could just barely feel the tip of the blade catch as Ren leaned back. Jaune stepped forwards, bringing his sword down and around.

Then Ren did what Jaune didn't consider a possibility: stepping forward and driving a palm into his chestplate. Staggered by the blow, forced to step back, Jaune's slash was clumsy and easily blocked. Like with his shield, Ren hooked Stormflower around Crocea Mors, holding the sword between both pistols, and yanked, sending a knee into Jaune's gut.

Winded, the boy pulled his sword out of Ren's vice, retreating, but the green-clad boy before him didn't allow it. Jaune could barely pull the blade in front of him to block in time.

A round pinged against his armored chest. Another one caught the side of Crocea Mors, his fingers tingling. One whizzed right by his face, the boy blinking reflexively. While Ren had been firing, the boy had been running forward to close the distance, knowing he had Jaune on the back foot.

Jaune planted said back foot, transitioning into a rising slash. Ren dodged it, knocked Crocea Mors from his hands, and positioned his blades across Jaune's throat, those magenta eyes burning into his.

The same eyes softened a moment later, and Ren pulled the blades back, away from his throat. "You have more upper body strength than I do. I shouldn't be able to disarm you so easily."

"R-Right..." Jaune let out, breathing heavily. He looked to where Crocea Mors was on the floor, and where he'd cast aside his shield. "I thought I caught you off guard when I let you take my shield away."

Ren nodded acceptingly. "You did. You just need to capitalize sooner. Had you struck quickly instead of putting all your weight behind your strike, things would have gone very differently."

 _'But I still would have lost..._ '

Jaune shook off that thought as well as he could, looking across the room. Nora sat on a bench, clutching her stomach. Apparently, she hadn't been feeling too well: for what reason, or why, or how, Jaune didn't know. It had been her suggestion to head to the training room to beat the rust out of their joints before they were back in classes, yet she sat on a bench, her face twisted into an unpleasant expression as she watched Pyrrha.

Pyrrha herself was on the other side of the room, having said there was something she'd wanted to try on her own.

After retrieving his sword and shield, and returning them to his hip, he followed Ren as the lithe boy walked towards where Nora sat. As they walked, Jaune couldn't help but turn to see if he could guess what his own partner was doing.

Pyrrha was still, her rifle at the ready as she crouched low. From what it looked like, she'd put a cardboard box in front of a target across the room, decently close to where Nora was sitting. There were a couple of spent casings near her position, meaning she had to have been doing something.

Jaune stopped, standing and watching for a moment as he saw the redheaded girl take a breath in.

His partner pulled her left arm back, throwing her shield forward. It floated through the air like a disk, spinning fast as it traveled. Jaune watched it as it went, before looking back to Pyrrha.

The girl was sighting down her rifle. She fired, and Jaune heard a ping.

"Did I get it?" Pyrrha asked.

' _Wait, did she just..._?'

"You got it!" Nora called out, sounding cheerful before Jaune heard her whimper a little. She must have been feeling extraordinarily ill, if it was having that much of an impact.

Pyrrha pumped a fist, running over to the target. She looked down at it, her expression hidden as she faced away from Jaune. The blond walked over to Nora, Ren sitting beside the girl, rubbing her back. "Is she...?"

"Deflecting bullets off her shield after she throws it? Yes." Nora confirmed, expression excited, if a little strained. "Is it practical? Not really, but it's _Pyrrha_. If anyone can make it work, it's her."

Jaune nodded, thoroughly impressed. He couldn't shoot well: His hands shook whenever he held a rifle, so what Pyrrha was doing was just something completely unbelievable to him. He watched on as she picked up her shield, running a fair distance away and taking a knee again. As she did so, Jaune turned to Nora. "You're not feeling any better?"

The girl shook her head, checking her scroll. Jaune watched her face carefully, before the typically bubbly girl looked up at him. "Do you think you could get me some stomach medicine or something?"

The blond didn't know if Nora had just willingly attacked one of his sweet spots, but he nodded almost immediately. Years of caring for his little sisters when his mother simply couldn't had instilled that instinct in him. "From the infirmary?" He asked, knowing they had nothing of the sort back in their dorm.

Nora nodded along, groaning, yet grinning, her face pained.

"I could always make you somethi..." Ren had started to suggest before he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. Jaune wasn't sure what he missed, but the way the boy hadn't continued was somewhat suspicious. He didn't concern himself with it, just giving Nora a quick nod.

"What should I ask for?" Jaune asked, turning in the direction of the exit, but maintaining eye contact with Nora.

Nora shrugged. "I dunno. Medicine? Something for an upset stomach?"

"Right." Jaune confirmed, turning to leave. As he did so, he offered Pyrrha a wave, his partner having looked over at just the right time. The redhead gave him a cheery wave back, and he left.

* * *

"So why do you not want me to make you something...?" Ren asked. Nora simply sighed, rubbing her gut as she winced at the sharp pain, watching intently as Jaune left the training area.

"I don't think eating anything will help." Nora noted, cringing a little. She knew what the boy meant, of course – his knowledge of nutrition and herbal remedies was well beyond what anyone could consider normal, being almost a hobby of his. There was no doubt he'd be able to fix up some kind of noxious concoction to help dull the aching pain – if she didn't vomit it back up first – but with the pain came a huge opportunity as she'd learned – courtesy of a... comrade-in-arms. In the loosest usage of the term.

She just hoped it paid off.

"Where's Jaune going?"

Nora turned her head towards Pyrrha at the inquiry, the redheaded girl looking over towards the exit. Pyrrha turned towards her a moment later, looking curious as she awaited an answer.

"He's headed to the infirmary to get me something for my stomach." Nora explained, leaning back in an attempt to ease the wrenching pain in her gut.

"What's the matter, anyways?" Pyrrha inquired after a moment, her voice on the verge of delicate. "Is it just an upset stomach? Or...?"

Nora nodded along. "Upset stomach. Something I ate yesterday, I think." It was the only thing she could think of. "I'm glad you all agreed to this training session though, even if I'm not doing anything." She murmured that last bit, disappointed, but still happy they'd all been able to do something together as a team.

The important thing was that everything – for the short while – had been working. Pyrrha had been casting curious glances over to Ren and Jaune when they'd been fighting, smiling every once in awhile. Jaune seemed to be his normal self as well. Most importantly – while the two boys had been sparring – Ren had smiled. An honest smile. From Ren.

"We really shouldn't have stopped coming here after that night..." Pyrrha seemed to ponder, looking at a point on the ground. "Even if Jaune wasn't up to participate, we could have still been doing this." The girl's green eyes snapped up to Ren, Nora watching on. "How was Jaune, by the way?"

The orange haired girl turned towards her partner, watching his expression. Ren took in a quick breath, sighing out as he leaned forward. "He's improved a lot." Ren started, though Nora wasn't certain that was what Pyrrha had been asking about. "Taking everything into consideration, I think he could have won today. It seems like he's just making the wrong choices. His form is fine, and his attacks have weight when they connect."

Pyrrha let out a lengthy sigh, and Nora turned to her, seeing a somewhat dejected look on her face. "What's up? That was quite the sigh..."

"I just... wish I could do more to help him..." The redhead admitted. There was a far off look in the girl's eyes, and Nora knew: This wasn't just a partner thing.

' _Does Pyrrha...?_ ' Yes. That in itself was obvious, but how deep did her affection run?

"You're already helping him plenty with his studies." Ren interjected, as oblivious to matters of the heart as ever - as he'd ever been with _her_. "And there's no better way to learn it than having to learn how to explain it, which helps with your own studying."

"I'm aware." Pyrrha pointed out, looking up to the boy. Nora couldn't help but notice it sounded a little bitter, but she knew why, even if Ren looked taken aback. "It's just... I want to do more. But it seems like the only other thing I can help him with is fighting, that's something Weiss has been doing well enough on her own."

Despite the simplicity of the words and the ease with which Pyrrha spoke them, it seemed like the redhead had a hard time getting that out. Nora didn't say anything in response – neither did Ren. They both knew Pyrrha could probably do a better job of training him than Weiss could, but the results spoke for themselves.

"But..." Pyrrha continued. "Even now, with Weiss' injury, it just feels... wrong to even approach Jaune and ask him if he wants help. I feel like if I do, I'll offend them somehow."

Nora sat up fully, ignoring the pain in her gut as best she could. "Why not just talk to Weiss about it?"

Ren and Pyrrha looked towards her, and she looked between them. A moment passed.

"Would that be a good idea?" Pyrrha asked, bringing a hand to her chin.

Nora simply shrugged it off. "Sure! Why not?"

"I haven't seen Weiss for a while. The rest of her team seemed to be hovering over her every step." Ren pointed out.

"Nah, it'll be fine." Nora grinned, waving it off.

Ren quirked an eyebrow in confusion, and Pyrrha tilted her head curiously. At their reactions, Nora chuckled, before clutching her gut at the pain she felt there.

It was nice to be the one in the loop.

* * *

The redheaded girl sighed, the water falling on her head as she ran her slender fingers through her hair, catching on the few knots they found. She leaned against the wall, her thighs rubbing together, before she stopped herself. She reached for the shampoo bottle, and shuddered, squeezing the thick fluid out on her hand.

She tried so hard to be normal. To look normal. To act normal.

Pyrrha lathered the substance in her hair, letting the hot water fall against her chest. She clenched her teeth, hissing through them.

She turned the water a little hotter, finding she'd grown accustomed to the temperature far too quickly. There was a knock at the bathroom door, and she almost snapped then and there.

"Pyrrha?"

"What is it?" She almost yelled back, but Nora didn't deserve that – especially ill as she was.

' _Why am I so frustrated_?'

"Do you know where my headphones are?" The girl asked, her voice muffled through the door, and barely audible with the sound of the water hitting the floor of the tub as it ran off her.

"I don't, sorry!" Pyrrha called out over the noise, shaking her head as she returned to washing herself. Why would she know where Nora's headphones were? She'd never even touched them! She-

The girl took in a breath, the scent of her shampoo doing little to calm her temper. If anything, the smell almost made her angrier.

 _'What's gotten into me_?'

After coming back from their training, Nora moaning and groaning the whole way back, Pyrrha decided that she wanted a shower. It wasn't like her little bit training was overly taxing and she needed one, but rather that she wanted it. The feeling of warm water against her skin, having it cascade down on her face as she relaxed...

There was nothing relaxing about this shower. She didn't feel comfortable. Adjusting the temperature again, she grumbled, finding it too cold. She turned it back up. Too hot.

The champion let out a shuddering breath, settling for something that was just a little bit hotter than usual, lathering soap onto her skin, not satisfied. She slowly rinsed off, not even feeling clean, before ducking her head under the steady stream of nearly scalding hot water. She closed her hand in a fist, and tapped it lightly against the wall before her.

"Shit..." She let out quietly, letting the shower rinse her hair out on its own.

Once the water was running clear off her skin, looking down at her chest, she sighed, turning off the tap. Pulling the curtain aside, she stepped out onto the towel she'd laid out for herself, practically tearing another one off the rack.

It wasn't until she was running it up and down her leg that she realized it wasn't hers. She scowled, drying herself off with Jaune's towel.

Typically, when she saw the boy, smiling brightly or with his face twisted in concentration, she couldn't help but smile to herself. Right now though?

Pyrrha toweled herself off vigorously, before hanging the towel over the edge of the counter. With her hand, she wiped off the layer of fog that had formed on the mirror.

The redhead stared into her reflection. Her reflection glowered back at her. She didn't even feel like smiling, her eyes dull and disappointed.

What were her efforts worth? Why did she keep putting on that smile when she felt like this?

She wiped more fog off the mirror, eyes trailing down her body until she couldn't see past the counter. She thought she was well past that stage in her own head.

Pyrrha sighed, running a hand over her abdomen. Higher, then lower. It felt good to her own touch.

She never cared much about her body in the sense of how attractive it was. Was that it? Was that why he didn't say anything? Guys were like that, weren't they?

The girl couldn't help but frown. That wasn't it. It couldn't be. He treated her just like anyone else, even after winding up her partner.

Was that it, then? Was she just another girl to him? Unimportant, forever in the background or off to the side?

What made Weiss different?

"Shut up." Pyrrha said into the mirror, running her hands through her still damp hair. She closed her eyes, and just breathed.

When she opened again, her mouth was curved up into a smile, but the smile never went to her eyes. She dropped the mask, and just glared again, staring into her own eyes. Breathing heavily out through her nose, the girl put her pajama top on along with a pair of shorts, and pushed her way back into the dorm room. She wasn't planning on leaving for the rest of the day, and if she had to, she could always get changed.

"You find your headphones?" Pyrrha asked as she entered the room, smiling. She couldn't afford to look bitter while the girl was having such a rough go of it herself. The other female member of JNPR shook her head, clutching her stomach as she laid back on her bed.

"I couldn't find them anywhere." Nora pouted. She turned, Pyrrha following the motion as the two looked over to Ren, the boy digging through the closet. "Did you, Ren?"

"If I found them you'd have them." The boy called out. "However, there's still the drawers you two keep your... delicates in. Would you mind looking through those, Pyrrha?"

The redhead nodded, walking over. Why couldn't Jaune be more like Re-

' _No, stop it_...'

While Ren retreated from the closet, Pyrrha moved to step in front of it, pulling out her's and Nora's underwear drawers. She went through Nora's first, and then her own, finding nothing. She sighed.

Well, she had nothing better to distract herself with. "Is there somewhere you didn't check?" She asked, turning to face the two.

Ren and Nora looked to each other, before turning back, shrugging. "I suppose I didn't look under my bed..." Nora reasoned.

The girl's partner sighed at that. "I thought you said that was the first place you checked?" He asked, sliding off his own bed to look beneath hers. "You've got to be kidding me..." The green clad boy let out, reaching an arm beneath the bed, pulling out Nora's headphones.

"Ooh! Thanks Renny!"

The otherwise typical display the two put on brought an honest smile to Pyrrha's face. After a moment, she tried to think of the last time she'd smiled like that. She drew a blank at first, before remembering one time almost vividly: When teams had been announced, and Jaune was made their leader. She slugged him in the arm, and he dropped like a log. She could remember smiling then.

' _But... that wasn't the most recent time_...'

The girl walked over to her own bed, reaching for her scroll where she'd left it on her nightstand. She opened up her contacts, scrolled through until she found the girl's name, and sent her a quick message. She didn't get a response immediately, though there was a knock on the dorm room's door a moment later.

Could it have been Ruby? She wanted to talk to her right now.

"Jaune didn't leave his scroll behind, did he?" Nora pondered. Pyrrha shrugged when the girl looked over to her for her input, surprised that she hadn't thought that first. Ren stood and stalked over to the door instead, pulling it open a moment later.

"Blake?" He let out in surprise.

"May I come in?"

Ren stepped aside, Pyrrha wondering why he stared at Blake, confused, before recalling that encounter in the hallway the other day. When they went to bake that cake. The redhead looked to Nora.

But the oranged haired girl had the ghost of a smile on her face as Blake came in, though it quickly disappeared, Pyrrha curious as to why. She turned her eyes to Blake, the girl standing in the middle of the dorm with a white paper bag in her hands.

"I'm here to drop off your medicine?" Blake noted, holding out the white paper bag.

Wait... what? Wasn't Jaune supposed to be getting Nora her medicine?

"Thanks!" Nora greeted cheerfully, before sitting up, looking pained. "You had Jaune pass it off to you then?"

Pyrrha felt like she was missing something here. She looked to Ren, but the boy looked just as confused as she was.

"So... where's Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, tilting her head towards Blake.

"Oh, I guess I should explain." Blake turned to her with a neutral expression – nothing behind it but her words. "I was in the infirmary waiting for Weiss to be done with her testing, when I got a message from Yang asking me to come back to the dorm immediately. I couldn't just leave Weiss alone. I was lucky that Jaune showed up when he did."

Pyrrha wasn't quite sure she understood – or maybe she did, and just hadn't heard right. "So...?"

"I asked Jaune if he wouldn't mind staying to pick up Weiss. He agreed to it, but only if I stopped here to drop off Nora's stomach medicine. _Speaking_ , I need to go see what Yang wanted. Later."

Pyrrha could just stare, watching Blake as she left the room.

Was she usually that chipper?

"Huh." Was the only noise Ren let out, the boy turning to Nora. "When did you guys...?"

"Just the other day." Nora answered quickly, opening the bag Blake dropped off and pulling out a bottle. "Oooh, it's pink!"

The redhead honestly felt like she was missing something here. It was driving her nuts. Instead of asking either of her teammates, she just fell back onto her bed, covering her eyes with her arm.

She let out a championship sigh, and closed her eyes.

"Ew... it doesn't taste like pink. Bleh. Why didn't you just make me something, Ren?"

* * *

"Alright, just one more scan, and I'll be able to let you go..."

Weiss nodded, her left arm entrapped in some kind of machine. She watched as Professor Peach tapped a couple keys at the terminal she was sitting in front of, the woman meeting her eyes for a second before hitting one last key. The interior of the machine seemed to flash, and her arm tingled at the sensation. She wasn't familiar with the device at all, but it let out a couple beeps, and the contraption that held her arm in place popped open, the girl feeling blood return to her tingling fingers.

She could feel the metal in her arm as blood began to flow again.

"You can take your arm out now." Professor Peach said, the woman continuing to tap at the keys before her, pausing for a moment to pull a few strands of blonde hair back behind an ear. "Does it sting?"

"Just a bit uncomfortable." Weiss admitted.

"I'd be worried if it wasn't." Professor Peach stood, giving the machine a pat. "Dust imaging is completely safe, but sometimes it temporarily dulls your nerves, the numbness lasting entire weeks. After that, it starts hurting like hell as soon as you can feel again."

Weiss winced as she could just imagine how that felt.

"Ah, sorry, I suppose I shouldn't trouble you with pointless things like that." The professor made a beckoning gesture. "Want to take a look?"

The heiress started to walk over. "Sure." The professor sat back down in her office chair, and tapped away, Weiss standing to her side as windows popped open on the screen before her. She let out a gasp, seeing what results the machine got out of her. She ignored the numbers and completely foreign sounding words, focusing on the images that had been generated.

"You're healing quite well, actually." The young professor noted, nodding towards the screen. "No one really understands how Aura truly heals us, but imaging technology like this is certainly giving us a better idea. Now, if I overlay the results today with the results from the first scan we took the night you were originally injured..." The woman did so. "See? It's healing progressively, starting with the fractures closer to your elbow. It hasn't even begun healing your wrist yet."

"Huh." Weiss let out, taking note of what the professor said, but her eyes focusing on the green outline of a cylindrical shape, pointed at one end. "That's the support?" She hadn't wanted to call it that, but she had no other word for it.

"Right. And this..." Peach tapped away for but a brief moment, another window appearing. "This is what it should look like in a month – when we're hoping we can get your cast off you."

Almost flawless, with thin fractures along the bigger bone of her forearm, its name eluding her. "So not fully healed?"

"Right. This'll be when it's safe to take the cast off of you. At which point you'll have to take it easy for a week, and – if we're lucky – you'll be right as rain."

Weiss smiled at that, but her smile quickly faded as she thought it over. ' _Five weeks..._ _no_!'

"Does this mean I might not be able to participate in the Vytal Festival Tournament?" Weiss asked, stunned. That was a big event – a global event – and her team would only ever have two chances to experience it. Would they not be able to participate if she couldn't?

"It's a possibility." Peach pointed out solemnly. "Even if we clear you, you'd have to talk it over with your team. They might not like the idea of you re-injuring yourself – perhaps even permanently. You have your own future to worry about as well, you know."

Weiss blinked, surprised the professor had guessed she'd been considering her team's happiness first: worried about their participation, and not her own. "I'll do my best not to agitate it then." The white-haired girl promised.

Professor Peach nodded, turning off the display as she stood. "I guess that's everything I need from you. I'll show you out." The woman started walking, Weiss following close behind as they passed a variety of different machines, many of which Weiss didn't even bother to attempt a guess at their purposes.

Weiss waited patiently as Professor Peach pushed the door open, standing aside as she held it for the heiress. "Come back in a week, the same time if you can. I'll make sure I'm available, and we can do another check-up and scan.

"Thank you, Professor." Weiss bowed politely, stepping through the door.

Her eyes immediately turned to the head of blond hair in the hallway, the boy standing there turning towards her. Her heart lept into her chest as she realized just how long it had been since she'd seen him.

She'd thought about him every day, but had been too ashamed to even send him a message. She'd been...

"Jaune?" She let out, standing there. It was impossible to tell from where she stood, but was his hair even just the slightest bit longer? She stepped forwards.

The boy regarded her with a somber look, but that quickly faded as a faint smile stretched across his features, before his eyes widened as she approached. "Weiss, I-"

"You dimwit!" Weiss let out, her vision blurring as she punched him in the shoulder as hard as she could with her right arm – thus, not hard at all. He let out a grunt, whether he was acting or not was something she didn't care about. It was the moment she looked up into his eyes again that she felt an arm wrap around her back, pulling her into his chest. "H-Hey!" She flushed slightly, turning her head down to look to the side, away from his face.

He was holding her so close! What was the idiot thinking?!

She heard a sniffle, and felt the shuddering of the boy's chest as he took in a breath. Weiss' embarrassment forgotten, she tilts her head upwards looking into Jaune's face again.

Tears sprung from the boy's eyes, and Weiss was taken aback. " _Weiss_!" The blond bawled.

The girl just stood there completely frozen, without even a single clue as to what to do. There was the rare occasion that Whitley cried when he was younger, but... he was young, and... and... _tiny_ then!

Weiss put her good arm under Jaune's left, and wrapped it around his back, pressing her face against his warm chestplate as she did so. She had a good enough idea of why the blond was crying, even a whole week later. "I-I'm okay!" She reassured. "I'm fin-" She felt his hand squish her face against his armor, and she groaned in annoyance. " _Jaune_..." She let out with a dangerous tone, but when she wasn't immediately released, the blond sobbing, she sighed, and relinquished herself to her fate.

A moment passed, Jaune still shuddering, though his grip relaxed and Weiss pulled back. The girl looked up at him.

"W-why the hell am I crying so much?" He asked her, using his gloved hand to wipe his tears away. He smiled down at her, fresh tears coming to his eyes. "I knew you were okay all this time. So why?"

Weiss didn't have an answer for him, looking directly into his eyes. He seemed to smile as she did that, biting back a sob. "Hey, no more crying! I'm fine-" she sniffled a bit herself. "Stop crying before you make _me_ cry." She cringed. "And your breath smells awful."

The boy snorted at that, pointedly breathing out to the side, the action causing Weiss to chuckle. After Weiss chuckled, Jaune trembled, starting to laugh, wiping the dampness from his eyes.

"Why haven't we seen each other all week?" Jaune asked, a weak smile on his face.

Weiss was caught off guard by the question. It was something she didn't want to discuss: she hadn't been consciously avoiding him, but it just seemed to... happen? "I thought about messaging you, or coming to check up on you, but my team was just so..." She tried to think about the right word, but couldn't exactly come up with a good one. "Caring?" It was more like suffocating, though. "Why didn't you come see me sooner?"

It was almost as if the question made Jaune uncomfortable himself, his face twisting into an expression Weiss found hard to place. "I was... scared. Ashamed. It's my fault you got inj-"

"Don't say it!" The words were out of Weiss' mouth before she could even think about it. She looked over the blond's shoulder, before sighing. This wasn't the place for this conversation. She was surprised Professor Peach didn't come busting out the door behind her, complaining about the noise they were making. If there were any patients in the other rooms further down the infirmary hall, she didn't want to disturb them any more than they might have already been.

The heiress didn't say anything at first, grabbing the boy's wrist. She started tugging Jaune along by his arm, making her way towards one of the main building's exits with the boy in tow.

"Where are we going?" Jaune asked. She heard his feet tap lightly against the floor as he adjusted his gait to accommodate her.

The heiress released him, continuing to walk down the hall, her heart hammering in her chest, and her cheeks warm. "We're going somewhere that we can talk."

As Weiss dragged Jaune along, she had time to think about the slew of emotions she was experiencing. If she were asked, she wouldn't know what to say about how she was feeling right now. She was happy and sad; pleased, yet disappointed; proud, but ashamed. And above all else, she felt she was fine, but couldn't help but feel a little hurt.

It was her fault as well, she wouldn't deny that; but almost an entire week before Jaune talked to her again? She pushed her way outside, the air warm despite the sun being hidden behind the clouds.

Despite the uneasy emotions she felt, the tense silence that fell between her and Jaune as they walked was something she needed to do away with. "Blake told you where I'd be?" Weiss wanted to both curse and thank the girl. This was something she ultimately needed and wanted, but didn't want to have to deal with right now. There were so many things that seemed to come to mind. She wanted to talk about everything.

"Well, it was just somewhat convenient I guess. I came to the infirmary to get stomach medicine for Nora." Nora hadn't been feeling good? The poor girl. "Blake flagged me down, and asked if I could wait instead, and she'd take the medicine to Nora. She seemed like she was in a hurry."

Yes, she'd definitely thank the girl. She couldn't say she knew the black haired girl well, but that just sounded fishy. "I wonder what was wrong." Weiss pondered aloud, for Jaune's benefit. No need to confuse him with the thought that their encounter had been plotted out by her teammate upon seeing the blond in the infirmary.

"My guess is that there wasn't anything wrong." Jaune noted from behind her. "I think Blake wanted us to talk, for whatever reason."

Weiss smiled contently. For a moment there – maybe, just maybe – she forgot how randomly intuitive Jaune could be. "What makes you think that?" She asked honestly.

There was a short bout of silence for but a moment, and Weiss turned back to the boy. Realizing she'd still been holding his hand, she let go, stopping, and waiting. Jaune stopped as well, looking down to the ground in thought, eyes distant, before shrugging.

"I dunno."

Weiss tilted her head. "What?"

The blond looked up to her, his blue eyes smiling naturally. "Maybe because I just wanted to talk to you, myself."

Weiss nodded, before turning back around, feeling the blush creep up her neck. He was so blunt on occasion, and she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. One thing she knew for sure, though, was just how refreshing it was to have him there. "Come on, it isn't far from here."

Even when it wasn't in direct sunlight, Beacon's garden seemed so vibrant. There were flowers aplenty, whether they were in planters or growing directly along the path. She was almost certain there was no single color that wasn't represented by the flora, not that she'd actually thought to identify them all – though the area in general just felt green.

She strolled along the narrow cobble pathway, its width just enough for two people to walk astride. Of all the places in Beacon, it was the one place she figured was grossly underappreciated. Whoever cared for all these flowers must have sincerely put an untold amount of effort into it, because it was practically immaculate. She passed through the archway, finding herself in a pavilion of quarried stone. It was a shame there wasn't a table around or anything – it seemed like a wonderful place to sit, relax, and have a chat.

Regardless, she approached the stone railing that went around the secluded area. She hopped onto it, noting just how warm it felt beneath her as she sat. "Come sit."

The boy did so, Weiss noting that whereas her legs dangled just off the ground, his feet were placed flatly against it. She looked up at him with a serious expression, and took a breath. "I feel like... I should apologize- _Hear me out_!" Weiss let out suddenly, as Jaune opened his mouth. The blond looked conflicted for a moment, before pressing his lips together again, nodding slowly.

Weiss sighed, looking out over the garden – but more importantly, not at Jaune. "I feel like everything that happened that night... was my fault. You can deny it all you like, but I acted rashly, and I paid the price." The girl felt the pit grow in her stomach. "Every time I think back to what happened – willingly or unwillingly – I realize that nothing bad would have happened if I'd just waited. If we'd contacted Beacon, or the VPD, or _something_... I just... let my anger take over, and before I knew it, I was out there, fighting."

She looked back, to Jaune, and the boy seemed to contemplate that, nodding along slowly. She wasn't done talking, however. "I feel like doing what I did – and getting you involved especially – is all simply my fault, and my fault alone."

"Weiss-"

Jaune spoke to cut her off, but she silenced him with a look, before sighing. "So... Sorry. For what it's worth." She let out after a moment, looking up into his eyes.

"I can't accept your apology." Jaune said. Before she could open her mouth to ask why, the boy tilted his head, and she stopped, helping her realize how unfair it would have been of her. "You rushing off caused that mess – as much as I don't actually mean to say that – but it's not entirely on you. I should have been faster. I should have been able to help you with that Torchwick bastard."

Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but was again silenced by that tilt of Jaune's head. She nodded graciously, but still felt like disputing the fact. Jaune had done just fine, she was sure. She could remember him being there when she passed out, and the terrifying events before, but he was there. He had been there.

"If I'd been stronger. Quicker. _Something_. I could have done something. If I'd noticed how your fight with him had turned south I would have done something. But I had trouble fighting those White Fang. I..." She watched as he clenched the muscles in his neck, as if dealing with an unpleasant memory. "I... killed a man, Weiss."

Weiss felt a shiver in her spine when Jaune said that. She hadn't known. "I'm sorry..."

"I'd do it again."

The heiress' heart seemed like it leapt into her throat. "Wh-what?"

"I don't regret it. If I was in the same situation – even being in a calm mindset – and someone was _hurting_ you like that again? I'd run my sword through them a hundred times." The boy seemed to shiver. His face twisted into an unpleasant expression – yet one that Weiss found endearing in that moment. "I don't want to hear you scream like that again."

After a moment of silence, Weiss staring into Jaune's eyes, the boy blushed slightly, looking aside. "I... I don't want to see you hurt like that again. I'll do anything to stop that from happening."

Weiss honestly didn't know what she could say in response to that. She just sat in stunned silence, watching as the boy glanced at her, never meeting her eyes for more than a second. Her heart hammered in her chest.

The heiress took in a shuddering breath. She wasn't sure what to call it, but she felt safe. Secure, maybe? Whatever the word was she was looking for, she couldn't think of it. She was simply glad Jaune was there. She found comfort in him sitting before her. She leaned back against the pillar behind her, closing her eyes. "Jaune..."

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if we just sit here for a little while?" She breathed in through her nose, enjoying the pleasant smells of the garden around them.

"That's fine..." Jaune let out, sounding just a little apprehensive. Weiss cracked one eye open at that, seeing he looked maybe just the slightest bit uncomfortable.

"Something the matter?" Weiss puzzled out, noting the way he sniffled. He wasn't about to start crying again, was he? She didn't think she could handle that again.

The boy shook his head, running a gloved finger under his nose. "N-no... It's fine."

Weiss let out a heavy sigh, hopping off the railing. Jaune's eyes followed her, even as hers traced his. "What is it?" She asked, tilting her head as she moved closer. "We're here, and we came here to talk, free of listening ears. If there's something you want to talk about to get off your chest, you _can_." No doubt there was something troubling him still. She'd coax it out of him.

"No, really, I'm fine."

The boy almost certainly lied. The heiress growled, poking a finger into his chestplate. "Jaune Arc. If you don't tell me what's wrong this instant, the moment my arm is better you're in for a serious worko-"

The boy put his arm in front of his face, sneezing loudly, the action interrupting the rest of Weiss' statement. He then did it again, pulling it away to reveal his eyes watering somewhat.

"What the hell is wrong?" She asked, tone serious, yet she tinted it with real concern.

"Weiss." The boy sniffed, sounding like he had a cold. "I have a pollen allergy."

She blinked. Then again. After a moment, Jaune sneezed again, rubbing his gloved hand under his nose.

The heiress couldn't help herself. She snorted in amusement, punching the boy in the shoulder as she giggled. She'd been worried for a moment there.

"Dummy."

* * *

 **Well, I hope you all enjoyed this installment of JaFP. Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon. Feel free to let me know what you think, or if you catch any stray things that totally should not be there (damn uploader...).**

 **Bye for now!**


	22. Secrets and Lies

**Hey all, how's it going? I'm doing good, but it can always be better, I suppose.**

 **Sorry this chapter is so late; nearly a month late, actually. Everyone gets those moods where they don't want to do anything for a while though, right?**

 **...People do get those moods, right?**

 **Anywho, here's the chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"I read all of that in Weiss' voice."_

* * *

As she blinked herself awake, the corners of her eyes crusty, Weiss Schnee yawned. Curling her fingers around the covers, she pulled them further over herself, looking at the faint moonlight splayed across the floor, floating in from between the curtains. The only other sources of light in the room where artificial: the bathroom light, which at some point in the past the team had agreed to leave on in the middle of the night so Yang would stop stubbing her toe on Weiss' bed frame, and the small crack beneath the entrance door that led out into the hall.

The heiress equal parts didn't want to get up, and yet was ultimately eager to. Letting out a tired sigh, she peeled the covers from herself, and swung her legs out of bed, hesitantly using her casted arm for support.

It didn't hurt.

Wearing an honest grin, the white-haired girl stood excitedly, stretching her arms high above her head. She quietly hummed a familiar tune to herself, grabbing her clothes and softly stepping into the bathroom, closing the door slightly behind her. She looked to the mirror, and stopped, staring at the girl who stared back.

Regardless of how she felt on the inside, Weiss looked terrible: Her hair was a wild mess with more than a few knots, the bags under her eyes actually looked like bruises, her lips were chapped, and there was a pimple just at the end of her nose. A pimple.

Weiss blinked, idly wondering if that was how she'd looked for the past week or so. She hadn't really stopped to study herself. There had, admittedly, been too much going through her head at any given time to really care. The heiress hoped she didn't look as bad as she did the other day – or at the least, that Yang, Blake or Ruby would have said something if she had. She scowled at herself, reaching for her brush. She looked terrible.

That was going to have to change.

A few minutes of careful and relatively pain-free brushing, a pimple pop, and a few more minutes of makeup application, and she maybe – just maybe – might have been able to go through a family breakfast without some kind of comment from her mother… If she was lucky. The thought brought a smile and a snort from the girl, blinking at herself, as she tilted her head to look at her face from different angles. It would have to do.

Weiss reached over to the end of the bathroom counter, where a black scrunchy Yang had given her to use sat. The blonde girl claimed she used it when she had to put her own hair up, and that Weiss would get more use out of it right now seeing as she still couldn't use her other hand.

The girl put her fingers through the stretchy hair tie, then splayed them, reaching behind her head to gather her white locks. She pulled them through, and reached up with her casted hand-

She brought it back down with a hiss.

That one had hurt.

Trying not to be frustrated, Weiss contorted her fingers to do the whole thing one-handed. The heiress glared balefully at her reflection, knowing well enough that her disability was her fault. She was the reason she was wearing a cast; her own impatience and lack of restraint.

Things her family – her father and Winter specifically – had told her many a time to keep in check. One sternly, and one more compassionately. One for their own good, and one for her's.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. Though she struggled with her clothes somewhat, she eventually eased open the bathroom door, tugging on the left sleeve of her jacket, snug around her cast.

When she looked up, she panicked, heart pounding hard in her chest when she saw a figure standing directly in front of her – only to take a moment to breathe, realizing:

Blake.

She almost shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Headed out early?" Blake asked quietly, likely in consideration for their still sleeping teammates. Upon a cursory inspection, heart beating furiously, Weiss noticed her black-haired teammate was already dressed in her combat gear, her weapon across her back. The heiress couldn't remember whether Blake had been in the room earlier - or rather, if the girl hadn't been.

Weiss nodded in response, still willing her raging heart to calm. "I wanted to do some light exercising. At the very least."

Blake stepped forward, holding out her arm to Weiss – not her arm, rather, but the blade glinting in the light from the bathroom. Myrtenaster. The revolving chamber held its own glow, filled with the many types of Dust she used. Weiss took her sword from Blake, and admired the shape it was in. It certainly didn't look like it had been left alone for a week.

Someone had been caring for it. Weiss' eyes instantly went to the bed that hung dangerously, yet stably, atop her own, before looking back to Blake. The girl nodded her head, and Weiss couldn't help but smile.

She owed her team a lot. She knew it. They'd been so patient with her, and so... well, caring. If it wouldn't be entirely awkward, she had a feeling she could step forward and hug Blake, right then and there.

Blake smiled back at her, and nodded towards the door. "Mind if I join you?"

It took a moment's thought to realize what Blake was suggesting. When Weiss realized the girl intended to train with her – or at least do some light exercising, like she said – she had to admit, she was uncertain. She was... caught. She couldn't say no, as much as she wanted to – as politely as she wanted to.

"Sure."

If she wasn't just seeing things, Blake let out a breath in relief, smiling softly back at Weiss. As the black-haired girl made her way to the door, the heiress looked down at Myrtenaster again. Gripping its hilt with her right hand felt so unfamiliar.

She put the blade through the loop of her belt, and followed Blake.

Her eyes adjusted, straining against the somewhat bright lights of the hall as the door closed behind her. She scoffed as it clicked. "Blake! I left my scroll inside..."

Smiling at her, Blake held up a scroll. "Right here."

The heiress blinked back at her. She'd grabbed it too? The heiress had to admit that it was a little unnerving. Blake had been ready in full gear, with both their weapons, and even took her scroll for her thinking she'd forget it? Weiss walked forward, taking her scroll from Blake, ensuring it was hers.

This wasn't a spur of the moment thing. The black haired girl had planned this.

Why was it so unnerving? The girl was her teammate, after all. Or was she?

The heiress snorted to herself at her own train of thought, and Blake turned curious eyes to her. "What?" She asked.

"How long were you up waiting for me?" Weiss quizzed in return, beginning to walk towards their first stop. "I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were." The team's token bookworm responded with what seemed to be an obvious deflection. When Weiss was about to press, she continued. "I woke up when you did. You took quite some time in the bathroom – long enough for me to get ready, go to the locker room to retrieve our weapons, and come back."

"Ah..." The heiress let out, her cheeks heating up. "It's... hard. To get ready."

"So you admit it. I think that's the first time you've actually said it."

"Hey!"

Blake chuckled, Weiss grumbling to herself. After a moment, the lithe girl spoke softly. "That's the most animated a response we've gotten out of you in weeks, you know?"

The heiress blinked in response. "What?"

"That's the most riled up you've been. No matter what Yang and I would say – teasing I'll actually openly admit to – all you'd ever do was sulk or growl. That's the first you've been... offended? In a long while."

Weiss didn't know what to say. "You've been saying things just to get a rise out of me?"

"On occasion." Blake smiled mischievously, stepping sideways to bump shoulders with her. "Sometimes I mean it, but sometimes I'm joking."

The heiress scoffed, pushing back against Blake playfully. "I'm sure you mean every word you say."

The two conversed pleasantly as they walked Beacon's halls. Oddly enough, one of their conversations strayed towards the overwhelming pile of school work they were going to have to catch up on – and how the hell they were going to get Yang and Ruby to focus long enough to get it all done. It was another thing Weiss made to blame herself for, but to be honest? She couldn't. Especially when Blake informed her that they were all missing classes not because of her injury, but because the team had requested an excused absence to help her work through it.

When Weiss had brought up that it was something they hadn't needed to do, she explained it was for their own good as well, on the grounds they wouldn't have been able to handle the heiress complaining about being unable to take notes – and asking to see theirs, then complaining about how messy and, to be frank, poor they were.

They were right. She would have complained about being unable to take notes. She would have asked to seen theirs, and then complained about Yang's writing, or Ruby's organizational issues, but...

"We'll be back in classes on Monday, and I'll still be in my cast." Weiss mentioned, close to their destination. "Someone's going to have to take notes for me."

"I'll do it." Blake pointed out. "I've... I'll really focus, and take better ones for you. If anything, maybe you can sit next to me, and I can scribe for you?" The black-haired girl cringed at her own suggestion. "Maybe not..."

"Yeah, probably not the best idea." Weiss hummed. "Honestly, the notes you take should be fine as-is. I'll be able to make do with them, along with sitting in on class."

"You think so?" The black-haired girl hummed. "Uh, Weiss? I haven't really been paying attention, but the training rooms were a left turn back there, I thought."

"They are." Weiss smiled. "We're just making a quick stop before we head over there. I'm actually glad you offered to come along. I realized I wouldn't be able to carry two mugs by myself."

Without anything else said, a smile spread across her face at what Blake had to be witnessing – Weiss Schnee, breaking a rule – as the heiress pushed her way into the teacher's lounge. The white-haired girl turned back to Blake, and waved her in. "Come on."

"Uhh, Weiss?" Blake's eyes widened.

"It's fine, come on." Weiss pushed the heavy wood door of the teacher's lounge wide open, and stepped inside. She smiled softly at the familiar face that greeted her, the tall man's eyes alight.

"Good morning, Miss Schnee." Professor Ozpin called out, sipping from a mug where he sat on the lounge's couch. He turned his head, quirking an eyebrow towards the doorway. "And Miss Belladonna."

Weiss had to keep herself from bursting in laughter as she stalked towards the coffee pot on the far side of the room, acting as if this was routine – as it was, really. She reached into the cupboard, and pulled out three mugs. She turned. "Coffee, Blake?"

The expression the girl had on her face... Weiss really wished she had a camera ready.

"But- the- I- ... _Good morning, professor._ " The black-haired opened her mouth again to speak, but seemed to struggle, looking between Headmaster Ozpin and the mugs Weiss held. She seemed to hesitate, shuffling in place. "Is there tea instead?"

"If there wasn't, two of my professors would have killed me long ago." The enigmatic headmaster noted, staring at an invisible spot on the wall across from him. "Bags are in the drawer, the hot water heater is in the corner there. It's on all the time."

"Thanks..." Blake mumbled quietly, walking past the couch. As soon as she got close enough, the girl started at Weiss with widened eyes, trying ask her what the hell was going on.

Weiss only smiled, taking a mug into her hand.

Blake almost dropped her's when the headmaster spoke. "Ah, before I forget Miss Schnee, might I ask that you and Mr. Arc stop by my office later today when you're both free? No rush."

"Of course." She didn't bother asking why. He was the headmaster, and they were students. That, and whatever it was he needed to see them for, it was likely important. "I'll make sure to remember."

Blake turned towards her again, seeming at a loss for words.

The heiress could only shrug.

* * *

Jaune yawned loudly, whipping his sword out to the side. Grumbling softly, he sheathed Crocea Mors in its shield, returning it to his waist. He was good and warmed up, not having even broken a sweat.

Now he was waiting for her.

The blond yawned again, rubbing at his eyes as he stepped towards the bench, taking a seat. He hadn't gotten to sleep at the best of times for their early morning training; he'd even struggled to get out of bed. But after meeting Weiss – seeing her – for the first time in what felt like forever, he found his body crawling out of bed, even when he didn't really want to.

Well, that was confusing. It was more like he'd willed himself out of bed: his body was the one who wanted nothing to do with it.

Jaune shook his head. He figured how didn't really matter, at this point. He was up, somewhat awake, and he was here.

His eyes were on the door when it finally slid open, and he smiled broadly as she walked in. Weiss' blue eyes met his – even so far away, they felt so warm – and she smiled too.

It made him happy. More than happy. The blond rose to his feet, taking a deep breath in through his nostrils as he walked over, letting it out slowly. His eyes moved to the girl who came in alongside Weiss: Blake. Jaune was curious as to why she'd tagged along, but that could wait.

"Weiss." Just saying her name seemed to renew his happiness, but the blond tried to school his expression to one more tame; he had to take another breath in, just to calm himself. Jaune studied her face, and her pleased expression. He took note of the simple ponytail she'd pulled her hair into, and her glossy lips.

His eyes trailed down to her cast. He hadn't really looked at it at all, despite his curiosity. Though, he figured his guilt overrode his curiosity, in that sense.

"Morning." She brought the mug she held to her lips, looking up at him over its rim. Her eyes seemed to dance, and he could see the smile hiding behind her drink.

The blond had to pull his eyes from the white-haired heiress, turning to her teammate. "Morning, Blake." He tried to fit as many questions as he could into the two-word greeting, such as why she was here, and what she was doing. When he blinked down at the two mugs in her hands, he offered her a pleasant smile – or as pleasantly as he could. "Is one of those for me?"

"Ah, yes." It took the girl a second, but she held out a steaming mug to him. "...You know where this comes from?"

Jaune could only blink at the girl, taking the mug of coffee. He didn't quite understand her question at all, but settled on answering it regardless. "Uh... yeah." He took a deep whiff, realizing just how long it had been since he had his last cup of training coffee. Just the smell seemed to revitalize him. He took a sip of the hot beverage, and sighed softly.

"Blake asked to join me this morning." Weiss mentioned. It went unsaid, but it essentially meant this wasn't Weiss' idea at all. "It's fine with you?"

"Of course." It was, it just... he'd wanted to spend time with Weiss. With only Weiss. He'd be fine with this too though. They were both there, and that would be more than enough for him. "I just got done with my warm-up."

He'd mentioned that for Blake's benefit, but Weiss nodded regardless. "We can have a seat, drink, then get to it. You've still been doing all of your exercises?" Jaune nodded, and Weiss tilted her head accusingly. " _All of them_?"

"Yep!" Jaune nodded resolutely, knowing exactly what Weiss would think he'd been skipping out on. The boy sat on their bench, sipping at his coffee before talking again. "Even the sprints and dashes. Especially the sprints..."

"Good." Weiss sat beside him, and Blake beside her – but slightly further. "We'll be skipping our usual stuff today, and trying something different." Weiss turned towards her teammate. "Something a little lighter, of course."

Jaune glanced up at Blake, who turned away slightly, nodding. Was she here to make sure Weiss didn't do anything too strenuous? That would make sense, for sure.

But... with that in mind...

"What are you going to do?" He asked, letting Weiss fill in the obvious blanks. She couldn't spar – not with her arm in a cast. She could probably still use her Dust, but-

"Work on my right hand." Weiss stated quickly, staring at an arbitrary point on the floor. There was something else behind the girl's eyes, and both himself and Blake leaned forwards. Weiss looked between them both, and sighed. "I do know a little about how to fight with my right. If anything, it will make me a better fighter overall."

Jaune hummed, nodding to himself as he set his coffee aside. He took Crocea Mors and its sheath from his belt, and laid it flat across his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Weiss looking down at his sword. He flipped the blade over, and drew the hilt with his left hand.

It felt odd. Like the sword was lighter.

"I'll switch too, then." He confirmed.

Weiss scoffed. "Jaune, don't be stupid. Why even bother?"

The blond turned to the girl sitting next to him. "Why not? If you switching to your other hand will make you a better fighter, what's to say it won't make me one as well? Besides, it actually sounds kinda fun. I did it before too, remember?" Though admittedly, he had no idea what he'd been doing back then.

"Once. A long time ago." Weiss pointed out dryly.

Jaune played off the girl's comment, looked past her to Blake. "We're not supposed to go too hard today anyways, right?"

"Right." The black-haired girl agreed, smiling softly back at him. Jaune wondered if he'd ever seen her smile before, and honestly couldn't think of a single time he had. She turned her eyes to Weiss. "Just some light exercising."

The heiress sighed, before sipping from her cup again. Jaune chuckled at the girl's thoughtful expression, resting Crocea Mors against the bench and returning to his own mug.

Blake seemed to finish her drink first, standing. "I'm going to go do a little warming up myself." That was all she said, stalking away from the bench and into the open area. The black-haired girl began stretching, and Jaune tilted his head towards Weiss.

"She decided to tag along?" He asked curiously. There was nothing wrong with it, as he'd resolved before, but it was still somewhat odd.

"It wouldn't be fair to say she ambushed me," Weiss noted quietly, hiding her mouth behind her mug, "but I couldn't just say no. Now I have to really think about what we should do, though." She turned her blue eyes up to him. "Any ideas yourself? I still can't accept the Jaune Arc I know would dare use a training session for anything but improving himself. That, and you look like a zombie from one of those horror movies."

Jaune openly laughed at Weiss' accusation – recognizing her sarcastic tone. "What, you think I've been slacking off without you lording over me? Harsh, even for you." He completely ignored her zombie comment. She didn't need to know why he was so tired.

The heiress narrowed her eyes at him, and he smiled easily at her – not willing to show that the girl could still intimidate him with just that glare.

After a moment, Weiss bumped the elbow of her casted arm into his ribs, and he made a sound of discomfort to appease her as she huffed. "We should get started, regardless." The girl stood, reaching across her front to draw her rapier, holding it in her right hand. When Jaune looked to her cast again, he noticed a black scribble on it.

"What's that on your cast, Weiss?" He quizzed, pointing to it. The girl looked down, following the path of his finger, before pulling back her sleeve.

"It's the get well messages the rest of my team wrote." She answered, pointing to one of the scribbles, and then the next. "One from Blake, one from Ruby, and-" She turned over her arm to show him the underside of it, where there was just a long bar of black ink. He looked up to her face, to see her blushing as she pulled the sleeve down.

"Yang?"

"Yang." Weiss mumbled back. "She wasn't subtle."

"About what?"

"Nothing, never mind. Finish your coffee, and we can get started."

Jaune shrugged, before complying, drinking down the still warm beverage.

The two strode out, a fair distance away from the bench, and about the same distance between them and Blake. With Crocea Mors in his left hand...

He lifted his shield with his right, finding it quite heavy. Giving it another thought, it made sense. His left arm would be more used to the shield, and his right the sword. That latter was lighter than the former, so it was as if the sword was lighter, and the shield was overly heavy. That he didn't notice it the first time he switched handness in that one fight against Yang probably spoke something of what he'd learned since then.

The blond gave the sword a few admittedly sloppy practice swings, before raising his shield. It felt super awkward, but also the good kind of awkward. He was already correcting his swings mentally, though his arm didn't obey quite as well. He rolled his shoulders, and looked over to Weiss.

The white-clad girl brought her arm forward, and stepped forwards, thrusting the point of her sword into open air. It wobbled as it moved, and it lacked any real force. Jaune saw the scowl on her face clear as day.

When the girl stepped back to attempt it again, Jaune noticed what was wrong, but hesitated in telling the girl immediately. She'd no doubt figure it out on her own, but he'd watch her do it one more time.

"Weiss, you're not adjusting your footing." Jaune called out, having expected a nasty glare from his training partner. Instead, the girl looked down at her feet, and waited. It took a moment for Jaune to realize she was waiting for him to elaborate. "Your footing is the same as it is when you were using your left hand."

The heiress' blue eyes blinked twice, before she switched the position of her feet. She put her left foot forward, pulled her rapier back, and stepped into the lunge.

The motion was more stable, but it lacked the impact, and the tip still wavered slightly. Jaune nodded to himself though, and focused on the grip of his sword in his hand. He put his right foot forward, blinking, before he transitioned to his left, bringing his sword down and around in an upward slash.

It lacked any power whatsoever, and it swerved as he moved. The blond actively cringed, letting out a groan as he rolled his wrist joint. The entire motion was stiff, from the beginning to the end. He moved to readjust his footing, looking down as he did so.

This was going to be a lot of work.

"That looked sloppy."

The blond looked up and over at Blake, the girl eyeing his form even as she stretched, bending over backwards. Despite everything, Jaune kept his eyes locked with her own upside-down ones. "It was, but I'm not left-handed."

"Why not try something else? With Weiss' rapier, she's limited in what she can do with it, but it all follows the same principle." Blake pointed out, righting herself. "With a sword and shield like yours, there's a lot of variety in what you might be able to do."

Jaune nodded along, only half-listening to what Weiss' teammate had to say. He had an idea of what she was saying, though. As he adjusted his feet, and swung again – a little tighter this time – he hummed. "Like a different style entirely?"

"Not exactly, but if you wanted to learn something like that, that's on you. I was more suggesting that you attempt things you wouldn't be able to do with your normal handness."

Jaune nodded along, understanding. The shield felt heavier in his right, and the sword lighter in his left... something to do with that?

"Thanks."

Blake said nothing more, returning to her stretching, though – when Jaune looked over – he noticed the way the girl's eyes flicked between both him and Weiss. If he had to guess what the girl was thinking... perhaps she had something she wanted to talk about, but she couldn't quite bring it up? Or perhaps she was just curious?

It all stemmed to Jaune's own curiosity as to why the girl joined Weiss this morning. If it was just as a teammate, fine, but the blond was suspicious.

Was he even allowed to be suspicious? He shook his head, raising his shield up before him with just the slightest difficulty. Blake was her teammate. Was it really so odd? No, not really.

He pushed the thought from his mind, shaking his head as he assumed a mirrored form of his ready stance, and just practiced moving with his shield raised. He jumped back, dashed forward, moved from side to side, spun...

When he spun, however, he noticed something odd. He frowned, bringing his shield in close and twisting his wrist.

Obviously, holding his sword in his left hand was rigid, but holding the shield in his right, despite how heavy it was...

He spun again, twisting the shield around as he did.

The blond grinned at how fluid it felt. He did it again, without the spin. Weiss always told him about how idiotic spinning is in a fight – though there are times where even she did – but without the spin, motion held no momentum. He stepped forward, and repeated the motion. It had something to it, that time.

It felt like he was on to something.

Going through the motion a couple more times, Jaune resumed working on his sword swings again. When he got tired of working on those, he switched to lunging and chopping, finding the rigid movements easier.

A groan sounded from behind him, and the blond turned. Blake stood there, stretching her arms high above her head. When she noticed him looking, she tilted her head at him inquisitively. The boy looked over his shoulder, back at Weiss who's face was steeled into a look of fierce concentration, attempting another lunge.

Jaune turned back to Blake, wearing an apologetic smile. "Would you like to spar?"

The black haired girl looked over to Weiss, and then back to him. "I suppose. You're going to be the opposite handness, right?"

"Right." Jaune confirmed.

Blake reached over her shoulder, retrieving her weapon. Of everyone he'd fought against or seen fight at Beacon, her weapon was the most complicated. It was simplistic in its components: a sword and a handgun, and a cleaver-like sheath with an edge. But the sword and handgun turned into... He literally didn't know what to call it.

Jaune just raised his shield and lowered his sword, at the ready. He took cautious steps towards Blake. From what he'd seen, she had a rather annoying semblance too.

It was time for him to experience it first-hand, it seemed.

* * *

Blake stepped back, Jaune cutting through her clone, but he didn't stumble as he had the first couple times. His eyes took but a moment to find her, and he pressed on, shield raised as he stepped towards her, forcing her to move again.

She found it hard to admit, but Jaune Arc was a more skilled fighter than she'd initially thought. Of course, it wasn't like she didn't think he could fight at all, nay... it was more like she didn't expect him to be this efficient, or this-

She had to actively block the clumsy strike.

Aware.

If he hadn't been using his sword in his off-hand, the fight would have probably been a serious challenge. She wouldn't have had to hold back one bit, and in a way, that frightened her: Blake recalled the way Jaune had been pounded into the dirt by Yang at the beginning of the year – but also remembered he'd given her a hell of a bruise just a few days later. Either the boy had a serious knack for fighting, or Weiss was a hell of a tutor. Maybe both.

The one thing Blake absolutely had to applaud was the boy's footwork. Everything else may be sloppy, but he moved so fluidly. More of Weiss' influence, she figured.

The girl had to back off, put some distance between them. But when she did, Jaune did not pursue. When she raised her gun to shoot, the boy sheathed his sword, holding up his hands in surrender.

"That's good for now." The blond panted out, though he still looked rather fresh.

' _For now_?' Blake lowered her gun.

Was stamina another of Jaune's many talents? She knew he had a large amount of Aura, but that only impacts how much of a beating people can take. It didn't affect how long they could go for, or when they needed to stop and take a breather. Jaune barely seemed winded.

What kind of training was Weiss putting him through?

Speaking of, Blake turned to the white-haired girl, who'd seemingly taken a break from her own exercises to watch them spar. She looked deep in thought, but her posture changed and she watched them both with easy expressions. Jaune began to walk towards her, and Blake followed.

"You know, you shouldn't have held back, Blake. He was the one who wanted to fight the way he did."

Caught. Darn. "I'd have felt bad if I did go all out." She turned and offered Jaune a nod. "You still fought good, regardless." That was honesty.

The blond scratched at the back of his head. "You think so? I don't think I hit you once. Your semblance makes you hard to follow."

Blake offered a nervous laugh. He'd certainly followed her well enough, but she wasn't one to feed someone's ego. "True."

"I felt like I learned a lot, too. So it's a win for you, and a win for me." Jaune smiled a toothy grin, turning back to Weiss. "What did you think?"

"I still think you're an idiot for using your other hand, but it was interesting seeing you get better as the fight went on." Weiss turned to Blake. "You were letting him get too close."

Before Blake could open her mouth to respond to Weiss' remark, Jaune let out an overly loud, overly obnoxious yawn. The girl hadn't been able to study his face all too well during their spar, and hadn't really been close enough earlier, but with that telling yawn and a quick look-over, he seemed a little light on sleep.

That had to have caught Weiss' eye as well, as she narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. The suspicion visible on her face dropped quickly, as she sighed. She glanced over to Blake, and her eyes seemed to come to life. "You should get some rest, Jaune. A nap or something, maybe."

"What? Pshh. I'm fine." The blond seemed to shuffle nervously on the spot, and Blake realized what Weiss was doing.

The heiress also didn't seem convinced.

"If you're not going to have a nap, then at least get to sleep earlier. You look awful. Doesn't he, Blake?"

"Yeah." Blake agreed, playing along. There was obviously something she didn't get, but she did it regardless. She, out of all of RWBY, probably knew the boy the least. Was he stubborn about staying up, or something?

Jaune nodded slowly, staring off into space. "I'll try."

"That's all I ask, then. Besides, you can't go for a nap right now." Weiss straightened up. "Headmaster Ozpin asked us to meet with him in his office."

"Oh?" That seemed to perk Jaune right up, his eyes alert. "What about?"

"He didn't say, but I think it has something to do with that night."

It didn't take a genius to realize what Weiss meant.

"Ah. Think he found out anything else about Torchwick or the White Fang?"

Blake froze up.

"Jaune, I haven't told them yet." Weiss seemed to chastise, voice tense, but not overly concerned.

"Wait, you haven't? Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have just said it out loud like that."

"You really need some sleep."

The conversation between the blond boy and her teammate was background noise for Blake. The two words Jaune said resonated and rebounded around in her head. When she'd hear them spoken in passing, or during one of Oobleck's lectures, or even just in the news, it was more than enough to disturb her.

But as her eyes trailed down to Weiss' cast, and she connected the dots in her head...

Her ears twitched.

"I can just pretend I didn't hear anything." Blake stated, internally panicking. She wished she hadn't heard at all. Her head spun, though it remained perfectly still on the outside, offering the two friends before her soft smile.

The White Fang... of course it was them.

"Well... don't tell Ruby and Yang about it. Jaune and I decided that if we were going to talk about it, we wanted to do so with both our teams, together." Weiss explained, almost pleadingly. "Both for our sake, and everyone else's. We'll tell you everything soon, okay?"

Blake nodded, very much aware of the ears tied up tightly above her head – and the one secret she had that she now had to keep, no matter what.

* * *

Weiss was admittedly nervous stepping into the elevator that led up to the headmaster's office. Jaune fell in beside her, turning as she did and offering her a smile. It did little to ease her growing concerns, but that it did anything at all was welcome.

After her and Jaune had parted ways with Blake after their training, the two had made their way down the halls, then out towards Beacon Tower, chatting the whole way. Jaune confirmed that he'd made no further ground on finding out anything about his semblance, as Weiss had figured. He'd have said something if he had, otherwise.

The majority of their discussion was on the matter at hand.

"I'm still tempted to think this is going to be about the fight at the docks." Jaune mused, pressing the button for the headmaster's office. The door took a couple seconds to close. "I mean, what else could it be?"

"He..." The heiress hesitated. "We were never really punished for what we did."

"I don't think you needed to be."

It was rather obvious what Jaune's comment was about.

"It was my fault anyways." The blond continued. "I could have been a better fighter – or if you'd taken someone else with you..."

Weiss let out a long sigh, turning on Jaune when the elevator started moving. She put her good hand to his chest, and shoved him against the elevator wall.

"We went over this." She started, aggravated. "It was not your fault. Would I have been okay if the rest of our teams were with us? Probably, yeah. But everything is perfect in hindsight." She stared into his eyes, and he looked away, bringing a displeased growl out of her.

The tall blond – had he always been so tall? – shuffled in place. "I just... you can't put all of the blame for what happened on yourself-"

"I can and I will." Weiss declared, stepping back. She watched on as the boy sighed, turning from her and scratching at the back of his head. She knew he wanted to say something. He wanted to dispute her statement. He wanted to argue.

Weiss could respect that he didn't, especially as the elevator slowed its ascent. The doors parted, and the heiress stepped into the round office of the headmaster. The gears whirred overhead as well as in her mind as she wondered what exactly they were here for.

The headmaster sat behind his desk, tapping away at some kind of terminal, but he closed it as they approached. Jaune stepped up next to her, and she glanced at him, the boy looking around the office with a neutral expression.

"I didn't expect to see the two of you so soon, admittedly." Professor Ozpin started, tenting his fingers on his desk. "Went lighter on the training today, I imagine?"

Weiss nodded along, stopping a short distance from the man's desk. "We did."

The headmaster hummed, looking between both Jaune and herself. The ticking of the clockwork was dull, but it was loud, resounding in the otherwise silent office. "I suppose you two have been wondering why I called you up here."

The heiress caught Jaune's nod out of the corner of her eye, and the headmaster stood.

"As headmaster of Beacon, I have countless responsibilities beyond just my academic position here." The man began, stepping out around the desk. "While the Valean Police Force does their best in keeping the peace, they're not equipped to deal with a terrorist organization such as the White Fang – or anyone else well out of their capability to handle, such as Roman Torchwick. Such things fall to myself or my staff, and occasionally to my students – though usually not our first years."

Weiss shuffled in place, blinking at the headmaster as he walked out into the open space of the office. She and Jaune turned, following the man as he tapped his cane lightly on the floor as he moved.

The tall man looked at them over his shoulder. "I appreciate what the two of you did that night, though it regrettably ended in such a way. When I had called to inform your father what had happened, Miss Schnee, he expressed pride beyond words, but lamented that he was unable to contact you personally at the time. From what I understand, this is a busy time of year for the SDC, and this happening to one of their shipments, along with smaller robberies must be stressful."

Weiss kept a straight expression on her face, nodding in understanding. On the inside however, her heart and mind were at ends. Was that just something her father had said as a businessman?

"Of course, as per Beacon's policy, we contacted your parents as well, Mr. Arc."

The noise that left Jaune's throat was one Weiss couldn't honestly put a label on: it was a mix of what sounded like a cough, a gasp, and the boy asking "What?". Like a sort of shocked surprise.

Professor Ozpin nodded, and continued to stalk across the room, headed in the direction of a shelf. "Your father expressed surprise, of course." The blond boy shuffled. "After a rather long conversation, I managed to convince him that he shouldn't bother coming all the way here to Vale to check up on you. He had no end of questions for me, it seemed. Certainly seems like the man I remember: the kind who'd move a mountain to protect his family."

Weiss looked to Jaune when the boy didn't respond to the headmaster's words. He was frozen in place, mouth gaping like some kind of fish as he blinked slowly. Finally, after a moment, the blond seemed to regain awareness of what was going on, and nodded slowly. "Yeah... that's my dad alright."

Thinking on it for a moment, Weiss realized this was the first time their families had really been brought up in a conversation with each other. The girl recalled Jaune mentioning sisters before, but she couldn't remember when or where. Perhaps they could talk about them later.

The boy's eyes seemed to light up, and Weiss turned back to the headmaster, watching as the man walked back to them, cane tucked under his arm with two steel thermoses in his hands.

"Our thermoses!" Weiss pointed out rather obviously, her earlier musings forgotten. She... hadn't thought about what happened to them at all, over the past week. Last time they had them... they must have left them behind at the docks.

"I'm sorry, I don't know which of the two is which, but here you are."

Weiss graciously took the steel tube in her hands, taking a moment to study it closely. It was her thermos alright. When she turned to Jaune in glee, she froze. The boy held his thermos loosely, the headmaster's hand on one of his shoulders as the silver-haired man leaned down to whisper something in his ear.

Something clearly not meant for her's.

The headmaster then stepped around Jaune, the boy nodding dumbly. Whatever he'd been told, he seemed to be in an odd stupor, turning to face the desk as the headmaster sat.

The boy's blue eyes met hers for a moment, and he looked away, almost as if he was ashamed. If anything, that made her more curious. To the point the only thing stopping her from asking him directly was that the headmaster was in the room with them.

Ozpin cleared his throat. "All that said and done, I must ask the two of you to be cautious in the future. And to trust in your teammates, and the rest of your class as well. There will be times where you won't be able to rely on each other. Remember that."

Weiss nodded, and the moment the headmaster brought his terminal back up, took it as a dismissal. She turned, walking back towards the elevator, but stopped when she realized Jaune didn't move.

"What d-do I do?" The headmaster looked up at Jaune from his terminal, the boy's broken words having echoed around the room. The tall man's eyes were hard as he glanced to Weiss, then back to the boy.

"What you think is right."

Jaune took a step back from the desk, and turned. His eyes remained pointed low, and the only acknowledgement Weiss got from the boy was the glance towards her feet as he walked by. Weiss looked back to the headmaster, the man busy tapping away at his terminal. When Ozpin didn't look up at her at all, she turned and followed Jaune into the elevator.

They were hiding something from her. And she didn't like it.


	23. Be All My Sins Remember'd

**251 Days.**

 **That's how many days there were between the last JaFP chapter, and this one...**

 **Words cannot express how disappointed I am in myself for letting this all slip away from me. Everyone - You all, myself, everyone who's a fan of this story. Even the characters - You all deserve better. I'd apologize profusely, and promise to do better, but my promises are at bottom stock right now, as far as their worth. Just know, I'll do my very best to prevent anything like this from happening ever again.**

 **Warm regards,**

 **Myareska**

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"It was an exercise in masochism and straining patience to the limit, yes._ "

* * *

Thin sheets accompanying a heavy blanket hung tight around the boy's head. He didn't know why he found even the slightest bit of security underneath the sheets of his bed, cross-legged, but as he bit his lip, it almost felt like he really needed it. His eyes flickered up and down, side to side, upon the bright display of his scroll.

Jaune poured over another report of one of Roman Torchwick's successful heists, rolling his shoulders as a chill shot down his spine, and a nagging, itchy feeling in the back of his mind took root. Drowsy, blue eyes closed for a few moments, then snapped open. He'd almost dozed off. He couldn't believe it. How could he be so irresponsible and fall asleep like that when there was work to be done?

His eyes settled on the glow of the scroll after he was done reading, and trembled as he stared at the empty space on the page. The thought always came back to haunt him, no matter what he tried to distract himself with.

His dad knew he was at Beacon.

It was almost as if a spear had lodged itself in his gut. Anytime he considered that his dad knew - that anyone in his family knew – his heart leapt into his throat the way it had when he'd been so carefully informed by the headmaster.

What did Ozpin tell him? Or perhaps more importantly, what did his father tell the headmaster of Beacon? It wasn't hard to guess. He'd seen it in the man's calculating glare, heard it in the stern yet gentle tone he spoke in. Without a doubt, the headmaster knew Jaune wasn't supposed to be at Beacon.

' _Wasn't supposed to..._ '

The boy tilted his head back, and let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Rather than the roof he'd become so used to looking at, his eyes were less than an inch from the soft, suffocating sheets he'd crawled under, dimly illuminated by the blue glow from his scroll.

He bit back the urge to curse. His team was sleeping, and if he showed any signs of something being wrong, they'd ask. They'd always ask.

He wasn't sure if that was a blessing, or a curse. His team. A team that, ultimately, he shouldn't lead. That he shouldn't even be a part of.

The most terrifying thing, however... He was still here. He, Jaune Arc was still a student of Beacon.

 _"Prove that you belong here_. _"_

Jaune hadn't even know the words had left his own lips until they pressed back together into a thin line. Those had been the same words Ozpin had said to him the other day. Whether they were a threat, or supposed to inspire him – hell, maybe both – the boy gritted his teeth, and the fingers of his free hand dug into the mattress beneath him.

The weight of the blanket and the sheets around him were pulled away with a rush of cool air. He couldn't really see in the dark of the dorm that surrounded him, but Jaune could at least feel the way the cloth had been pulled away. He turned his head, and stared.

Pyrrha's face was easy enough to make out, the scroll's light hitting her features from where Jaune held it in his hand. The redhead's hair was a mess – as it always was when she'd slept. Standing at the side of his bed, cloth held in her fingers, Pyrrha shuffled in place, her oversized nightie clinging to her frame.

The girl dropped the sheets, then lifted one leg and nestled her knee in the mattress, close to Jaune's hip. The blond boy blinked up at his partner, as she climbed into his bed.

"Pyrrha?"

The girl laid back, or tried to. It was more like she pressed her side to his. Before he could let out any more, the girl's arms wrapped around him. His mouth twitched open in protest as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"Go to sleep."

Jaune's eyes blinked rapidly as his mind failed to keep up with his senses. Head tilted in Pyrrha's direction, a cautious breath in through his nose filled him with the scent of her shampoo. Her arms clutched him tightly, before letting him go just as quickly. The girl pulled her head back, and her eyes bounced the glow of his scroll.

Her worry was clear as day, which was relieving if Jaune was being honest, but there was more in the girl's eyes.

"Pyrrha, I-"

"You won't tell me what the problem is," She interrupted, "But it's probably not something that can be solved in the middle of the night by staring at your scroll." Her green eyes blinked up at him, until her hand pressed against his chest and she pushed him back into his pillow. He stared at her, mouth agape. What had gotten into her? "You need to rest."

Jaune nodded dumbly as he laid down. Pyrrha stood from where she was and bent over, retrieving the corner of his sheets. She tugged them over his frame, and leaned in to make sure they were drawn over him. He didn't know when it happened, but the glow of his scroll was now in her hands. She slid it closed, and put it beneath her own pillow after going back her own bed, his eyes following her hand all the way.

The redhead whispered something to herself – something Jaune didn't quite catch. He opened his mouth to ask her what she said, but stopped. His eyes had adjusted, and he could see her finger pressed to her lips in silence. He blinked, then closed his eyes, heavy eyelids refusing to budge once they fell shut.

* * *

Pyrrha stood stock still as she saw Jaune's eyes close, and then watched on as they remained so. She waited, watching the rising and falling of his chest as he dozed off. Finally, he was asleep.

The redheaded girl let out a weary sigh, lips turned downwards in a slight frown as she slid Jaune's scroll back down into her hand from where she'd hid it in the sleeve of her nightie. She looked to the unassuming device, turning it over in her grip. She glanced to Jaune's sleeping form again, before spinning on her heel and stepping out across the dorm. Casting one last glance to her blond partner's bed, Pyrrha closed the bathroom door behind her.

The light went on with a flick of a finger, and Pyrrha's eyes met those of her reflection. She wrinkled her nose as she took in her wild hair and the bags beneath her eyes, but those were the furthest things from her mind at the moment.

She returned her attention to the scroll in her hand. The girl went to slide it open, and stopped.

Was it really the right thing to do? For the past two weeks, she'd been fraught with worry over her partner, and still he refused to tell her what was ailing him. Weeks of worry, and he still hadn't said anything. Jaune would just plaster a smile on his face and pretend nothing was wrong when there clearly was. When the boy did decide he'd at least open up a little, he'd dropped the grinning façade, sat down with her…

And had still told her nothing.

Pyrrha had wanted to stay out of it, but as she closed her eyes and rubbed at them, she knew it was more than just his problem now. She'd been having trouble sleeping – especially knowing he'd been awake in his bed next to her, doing whatever it was on the infernal scroll in her grip. It was why she'd taken action tonight. It was well past midnight, and she'd been unable to sleep, seeing his sheets illuminated by backlight.

This time she didn't hesitate to slide the device open, scrolling up to the top of whatever he had been reading. It was an article about Roman Torchwick. Was what happened back then still plaguing him now?

No, there had to be more. Familiar enough with her own scroll, Pyrrha flitted through the page history. Torchwick, Torchwick, White Fang, Torchwick, Beacon Student Records, Roman Torchwick, Heists, Break-ins, Vale News Network...

It looked more like the scroll of some private investigator, rather than a Beacon student. Not her partner. The only things that weren't outside of the norm were Beacon's Student Records, and the Vale News Network. The redhead sighed, about to slide the scroll closed, when she had another thought.

She went through the boy's contacts and recent messages. It felt like an absolute betrayal of trust, worse than just looking through his search history, especially as her mind wandered thinking about what she might find.

Then again, Pyrrha realized what she could have found in his search history could have been equally as bad, if not worse.

She shook off the thought. At the top of her partner's contact list, Weiss Schnee. She scanned through those messages as an uncomfortable feeling settled in her gut, but she found their communication very... typical. Straightforward. Almost professional.

She stumbled upon a photo Weiss sent: Jaune along with Weiss herself, standing on a bridge in Vale posing for whomever was taking their photo. Jaune's hand was around Weiss' waist, like the two were a... couple.

Pyrrha scrolled back up the display after taking note of the date. Too far back. She rubbed at her eyes again.

Now, she found she was at a loss. Here she was, Jaune's scroll in her hand – potentially the one thing that could tell her more about what was wrong than Jaune could himself...

And she didn't know what else to look for. Was that all there could be bothering him? Just Roman Torchwick? That heist at the docks? Aside from the photos – of which a quick inspection told Pyrrha there were very few – was there anything else aside from his contacts or his search history that could have told her anything?

' _Weiss, Torchwick... Wait_.'

Pyrrha's eyes went wide as she connected the dots in her mind. She slid the scroll closed, and opened the bathroom door, turning the light off as she stalked back to her bed. Roman Torchwick. That had to be it. After all, wasn't he the one who broke Weiss' wrist? She looked to Jaune's sleeping form. The girl felt like she was right, but just acting on something like that alone wasn't going to be enough.

Besides, Jaune didn't need her to tell him he was foolish, or acting rashly. She knew him well enough now to know where he was coming from. If someone were to hurt Jaune, after all, what would she do herself? What would Ren and Nora do?

Rubbing at her face tiredly, Pyrrha sat on the edge of her bed, pulling her covers over top of her legs. If Jaune was angry at Torchwick for what he did to Weiss, then that was one thing. Investigating everything he could of the man's recorded actions and movements, though? Pyrrha felt that was leaning more towards the obsessive.

Sliding Jaune's scroll beneath her own pillow, for real this time, she put her head down on top of it.

Pyrrha knew what she had to do.

* * *

Weiss held Myrtenaster level, but looking down the blade's length in the morning light, she could see the tip waver. It jerked all over the place as she tried to correct it, but as her eyes trailed all the way back to the cylinder and beyond. It wasn't the blade. It was her fingers, clenched around the hilt, the metal slightly slick against her palm.

Her whole hand shook.

The heiress groaned, displeased as she relaxed, and stood up straight. She looked down to her right hand, her rapier held by untrained fingers. She moved the point in small circles, only to draw something very disproportionate on each cycle. Then Weiss turned her attention to her casted hand.

The fingers twitched within the casing, with a slight twinge of pain. How she longed to dance, blade in hand, as she had just weeks before.

But it wouldn't be the same, would it…

Growling to herself, the white-haired girl pulled her arm back, and jabbed the point of her blade forward. She knew where she'd wanted to thrust – the strike would perfectly level with her shoulder. Were it a Beowolf before her, she'd pierce its chest cleanly.

Yet, her wrist twisted, unused to the movement. She missed her mark completely, blade at an angle.

She'd be dead.

Weiss drew her arm back, and jabbed again. Miss. Again. Miss.

Once more, and this time the point struck true. Perfectly level. The tip only wavered after the first moment passed.

The girl frowned.

Her form was perfect, but there was no power. The strike wouldn't have even pierced the beast's hide.

Weiss rolled her shoulders, looking to the far side of the training room, up high on the wall. Her blue eyes stared at the clock, lips turned downwards in a frown.

 _'He's late.'_

Weiss tried not to let that thought get to her, and settled into a mirrored stance from her original one. She'd learned well enough how to fight with her dominant hand. She could at least become passable with her off-hand while it healed. She focused on what that one near-perfect thrust had felt like, and repeated it.

The point remained in place the whole way through, but her hand did not. Scowling, the girl stepped back, and shook her head.

Weiss stepped forward, moving Myrtenaster in a small circle, before going for the eyes of the imaginary beast before her. Minutes passed as she systematically picked apart what could have been a Beowolf. She felt more comfortable with the blade in her right hand as time progressed, but...

She needed something more. She needed something to fight. Myrtenaster still felt too heavy, too uncomfortable. She considered the weights in the corner of the training area for only a moment before she shook her head.

She didn't need those, she needed-

"Weiss!"

The girl wheeled around, eyes widening for a moment before narrowing at the blond who strode through the door. The Schnee girl's gaze immediately went down to Jaune's sword as the boy closed the door behind him, before offering what she assumed was the best apologetic smile he could muster.

"Where have you been?" She demanded indignantly. She crossed her arms while waiting for his explanation. A thought nagged in the back of her mind at how silly such a stance might look with a casted arm, but she pushed it back and ignored it.

"I... uhh... slept in?"

Weiss tilted her head slightly, trying to look as unamused as possible. As the boy walked over though, she took notice of the dark circles hanging beneath his eyes. While she softened slightly on the inside, she kept up her expression.

"For..." She glanced at the clock. "...two hours?"

"I'm really sorry... I think I woke up and fell back asleep, or something." The blond rubbed at his face, and Weiss finally relented. She let out an exasperated sigh as Jaune hummed. "Are you allowed to exercise now?"

Weiss nodded. "As long as I don't use my left hand, or jar it too much."

Really, she should only be going through the motions, but... Jaune smiled up at her. "That's great! What are we doing today, then?"

 _'As eager as always.'_

Weiss thrusted her rapier towards Jaune, and it barely took the boy a second to bring a gloved hand up to backhand it to the side. He took a step back, and settled into a fighting position, sword drawn with a rasp of steel.

"Good." Weiss had drawn her lips tight. Even though she'd thrusted with her right, and tried to involve her left as little as she could, it still sent a jolt of pain through the limb.

The blond before her panted softly, eyes cold as he stared at her chest. Weiss relaxed, and so did Jaune.

"That was for being late, but I was wondering if you could help me out."

Jaune sheathed his blade, and stood straight. Weiss could see the question on his face before he'd even voiced it. "What do you mean?"

The girl gestured to her casted arm. "I'm going to be out of commission for a while yet, so I've decided to work on training to use my right arm as well as my left." She twisted Myrtenaster in her hand, beginning to get used to the foreign feeling. "To that end, I have something in mind..."

"What is it?"

Weiss brought her rapier perpendicular to the ground, and began to focus, though she looked at Jaune. ' _Something's...wrong with him today... he's not just tired._ ' Bringing her casted hand up, she called on her semblance, glyph spinning beneath her feet.

The snort Jaune let out across from her brought a stop to what she was doing.

"Something funny?" She bit off, eyes narrowed as she let her annoyance speak for her.

The face of the blond before her was a mask of mixed emotions. He looked both remorseful, and as if he was about to burst into laughter. "S-sorry, that just looks really funny with a cast on your hand."

Weiss glared at the boy, before shaking her head and repeating the motion. As she focused on doing what she'd done many times before, she breathed evenly.

At least she still had this, if the sword failed her.

The ice enwrapped her legs, spreading up to just below her knees. She let out a breath, shivering at the cold clinging to her legs. Weiss tried to yank her legs free of the ice, and, upon not budging, she nodded, and readied her rapier.

"What are you waiting for?" She taunted.

The boy drew his sword yet again, firmly held in both hands. His posture indicated he was ready, but the way his upper lip curled back, pinched beneath his teeth betrayed him. "Are you sure, Weiss?"

"It works for you, it'll work for me." The white-haired heiress claimed, determined. "Or do you not think you can take me even with three of my limbs useless?"

Weiss felt a pain in her chest as she mulled over the last word. Useless.

Jaune look out a breath, and shook his head, before regripping his sword and charging forwards.

* * *

Jaune brought Crocea Mors around and swung at Weiss. It was a lazy swing. He'd only really swung with his torso, using his legs just to steady himself, rather than put power behind the strike. Not only that, but he attacked from a distance he was sure wouldn't connect with Weiss' small frame if he broke her guard.

Their blades met, and Jaune's sword slid along Weiss' rapier, a light ring hitting the blond's ear. He backed away and readied himself, just to see Weiss lower her guard, scowling at him.

"I'm not an idiot. Don't you dare hold back again." The girl before him brought her blade up even with her shoulders, then drew it forwards, ready.

' _I can't not hold back..._ ' Jaune didn't speak those words aloud, simply settling his eyes on the girl's chest, before stepping back and closing them. He took a breath, then stared his training partner down.

Taking two powerful strides forwards, Jaune swung the blade horizontally. Weiss' eyes widened as she leaned back slightly, pulling her weapon back so Crocea Mors barely brushed it.

The blade went soaring out of Weiss' hand, clattering on the floor a few paces away. The shocked expression in Weiss' eyes was replaced in seconds by a fierce glare of determination, and an angry scowl.

"Weiss, I-"

"Again."

Jaune's mouth was still open when the Schnee heiress spoke. Glancing downwards for but a moment, the blond could see her right hand shaking and twitching.

' _She shouldn't have to do this_.'

The thought rang through Jaune's mind as he strode over to where Myrtenaster sat. He remembered the day he asked her about her sword. He remembered she'd been unusually awkward when she confessed it had a name. He never asked where the name came from.

The question came to his mind now, but...

He couldn't ask it. He just couldn't.

The boy let out a sigh under his breath, hoping Weiss didn't notice. What right did he have to ask her anything after what he'd done?

Jaune drew in a shuddering breath, then handing Weiss her blade, hilt first. He heard her thank him – but he didn't respond, eyed turned downwards as he took up position across from her.

Jaune moved forwards, bringing his blade down in an overhand. Weiss moved to catch and parry the blow, but it battered away her guard, and the boy's edge stopped mere inches from her shoulder. The white-haired girl managed to hold onto her sword this time, but...

"A-Again." Weiss let out as Jaune stepped back.

The blond hesitated, then went for a horizontal slash. He felt her guard start to give, then pulled his own sword back. He looked from her questioning eyes, down to the ice surrounding Weiss' legs.

With his head hung, he sheathed his sword, and turned away.

"I can't do this..."

* * *

"We do this all the time. Just because I'm the one frozen to the ground this time-"

"It's not about that." The boy's words held a spark of anger, and that was enough to quiet the rest of Weiss' statement.

The interruption came as a shock to the girl, both the words, and the tone the boy spoke in. She hesitated to open her mouth, but when the blond didn't seem likely to speak again, she continued.

"If this is because you're worried about hurting me-"

"It's not that either!" The shuddering shout the words rode out on seemed to pierce her very skin – it made her wrist itch. Jaune heaved before her, bringing a gloved hand to his head. "I've already hurt you enough..."

"I'm fine, Jaune." She took a breath, but it felt labored. "You haven't even touched me yet."

"Not now... weeks ago. You're still hurting."

Weiss took in a breath, shaking her head with her mouth agape. The blond wasn't even looking at her. "You didn't hurt me. This-" She lifted her casted arm, leaning slightly to put it in his sight, "-Roman Torchwick did this to me. Not you."

"It might as well have been me."

The chill Weiss felt wasn't from the ice clinging to her legs – ice that was quickly melting, now that her focus on keeping it was long gone. "What's gotten into you?" A spike not unlike the ones in her arm shot through her chest instead, as well as her gut, though it was less painful, and more an uneasy feeling.

"It's my fault you got hurt."

Weiss closed her eyes shut tight, and sighed in anger. "Not this again..."

"Yes, this again!" Jaune's voice alone seemed like it might've melted what was left of the ice at her feet. Not because it was warm or soothing, but because it was hot with anger at its core. It wasn't just anger, though. As he turned his chin up to face her, his blue eyes – marred with red in his whites, as if bloodshot – and falling tears spoke something more.

Weiss had been adequate at reading people – their intentions, and their emotions – ever since her father had drilled it into her mind at a young age. With everything he'd taught her that she'd tried to discard, the one thing that had always stuck more than any piano lesson or expensive tutoring was the ability to read people. Who someone is or what they intend can be seen in their faces.

She looked at Jaune, saw his tears, heard his voice, and only recognized anguish.

Her skin chilled, and by then, the ice had already been long gone. She reached out to him, Myrtenaster clattering to the floor, and he backed away.

"Stay away!"

Weiss recoiled like his words were teeth digging into her hand. "J-Jaune, you're tired, you need rest. I should have just canceled today-"

"I'm the reason your hand is in a cast!"

He was wrong. He was the reason she was still alive.

"Jaune, you're speaking nonsense." She wanted to reach out to him again, and had to stop herself. "You didn't do this."

"What if it wasn't me with you at the docks?"

Again, Jaune's words hit her like a bucket of ice water was poured down her back "I..."

"What if it was Pyrrha, or Ruby, or Yang, or Blake, or Ren, or Nora, or..." The boy was babbling, tears leaking freely down his face. "Anyone who wasn't me! You'd have been safe. You wouldn't have been hurt."

"You don't know that," Weiss argued loudly. She was shaking, a few beads of cold water clinging to her bare legs. "Stop worrying about 'what ifs', and... I'm fine, okay?"

"A broken wrist with a rod of metal jammed through it isn't fine!"

"I know!" Now Weiss was raising her voice, if only to hear it over her pulse pounding in her ears. "I know better than anyone it's not fine. But I don't blame you for what happened. The only one I have to blame is myself." She jammed her thumb towards herself as if that made it even more true, but Jaune just shook his head.

"Then... who do you think I have to blame for you getting injured?" His voice was quieter now, yet still as hot with emotion as it had been when he was shouting. "You don't need to answer that, because I know the answer..."

Weiss bit her lip.

"It's my fault."

"Shut up." Weiss ordered.

"You don't underst-"

"Shut. Up."

"I don't belong here!"

"Shut-" The Schnee heiress stopped herself and stared at the blond as his statement registered. His shoulders were hunched, leaning forwards with his head lowered, and his body twitched with each cry.

"I..." Jaune sobbed. "I don't belong here. At Beacon."

With those words, Weiss had a moment of clarity. A moment free of emotion and considerations, where she only wanted one thing: an answer.

"What do you mean?"

His eyes met hers, and he looked away ashamed. "I'm... a liar, and a cheat. I'm no better than Torchwick."

Weiss stared at Jaune, watching his face as he shrunk from her gaze.

He wasn't lying.

"What do you mean?" She repeated.

"I have... sorry, had no combat training. Stole my sword from my father." He looked to his side, sheathed blade hanging there. Weiss followed his gaze, and saw the way his hand shook at his side. "I... went online, and looked up documentation for Beacon. Application forms. When I looked deeper... I found something more." The tall boy looked smaller and smaller as he spoke. "I forged the transcripts. On my own. Everything but my name and age on those sheets was a lie."

Weiss couldn't speak as Jaune continued.

"I somehow made it through initiation. I got paired with one of the best fighters of this generation. Sheer dumb luck." Jaune took in a breath. "I'd realized how screwed I was when I stepped on that launch platform. Everything before today... was just luck. My transcripts looked legitimate? Luck. Surviving the launch into the Emerald Forest? Luck. Pyrrha saving my ass time and time again in the forest? Luck. I didn't even have my Aura unlocked until Pyrrha did it for me that same day. Everything about who I am, and why I'm here, is just stupid luck."

"But... Jaune, our training? Asking me about training?"

"I couldn't have trained with you if it wasn't for being here at Beacon, which was – you guessed it – luck." The boy laughed, though his heart was far from mirth. "Luck and random chance. Hell, I was lucky you agreed to train me once I realized my sorry ass was screwed."

"Why me?"

Jaune blinked. "Sorry?"

"Why me?" Weiss repeated, not willing to meet Jaune's eyes herself, now. "Why did you ask me for training, instead of your team? Some ulterior motive, or your own safety?"

"I admired you."

Weiss met Jaune's eyes with her own narrowed. First, he'd yelled at her – made her feel like she did – then he confessed he was a... was a... and now this? Saying he admired her? The girl was a mess of emotion, taking in a sharp, quiet breath before saying the one word she could manage right then.

"Explain."

"Weiss, you're beautiful." With the current atmosphere, that didn't even make the white-haired girl blush like it usually would've. "That's like, one-tenth of all the reasons I went to you, though. Since that day the Headmaster gave that speech, more and more things kept piling on to the pile of 'oh, wow, that girl is amazing', but there's one thing I idolized you for above all else."

Weiss didn't even want Jaune to talk anymore, but against her better judgement, she gestured for him to continue.

"In initiation, you saved Ruby from that huge Deathstalker. Ruby was... the first friend I'd made at Beacon. At that point, Ruby was my only friend. You saved her while I just stood by, completely powerless. Completely unable to do anything at all. I was scared, but you put your life on the line for her."

The boy shook his head when Weiss opened her mouth.

"Th... that's the problem. I couldn't protect Ruby from a Grimm, and I couldn't protect you from Torchwick. If it had been anyone else - if JNPR had anyone else as their leader, if there was anyone else in my spot... your wrist wouldn't be broken right now, and you'd be training with someone much stronger than me. I'm just as useless now as I was back then!"

Jaune rolled his shoulders, and took a breath. "I... Ozpin knows my transcripts are forged. He figured it out when he called my parents after what happened at the docks. I don't know why I'm still here, but... I probably won't be any longer. So, it's best if you just stop wasting your time with m-"

Weiss's hand moved before she even realized it herself. Her right hand was clumsy and untrained, but that didn't stop it knowing how to leave a bright, red mark on one of Jaune's cheeks, his head recoiling from the blow.

Her wrist shook as tears came to her eyes, both from the sting of her palm and the sting of the boy's words as she went for the exit.

"You're despicable..."

Everything he'd said, it was all... despicable. And wrong. And he... and she...

"Weiss, I... I'm really sorry."

"Leave me alone."

She threw the door to the training room open, and ran.


	24. Cold War

**Hey, look! What's that cresting that there hill?**

 **Well I'll be, it's another chapter!**

 _ **EDIT:**_ _ **Huge shoutout to Gmann's Navy. Give that a look if you want some more quality entertainment**_

* * *

 _Beta: Knight of Cerberus_

 _"What have you done?"_

* * *

Soft steps carried Ruby Rose into Beacon's cafeteria as she nodded to another student who held the door open for her. Under her arm were the fruits of the earlier hours of the day – plans, charts, and tables she'd been meticulously looking over since dawn.

The youngest student of the academy let out a huff as she scanned the rows of tables, looking for her team's presence. Yang's hair caught her eye and she mentally prepared herself, her paces getting shorter as she considered what to say.

As she got closer, it wasn't Yang's blonde hair that caught her eyes; it was the rigid form of her partner. Weiss' eyes were locked into a dead stare at the food on her tray.

Blake was the first and only one to look her way. Her teammate's apologetic smile and pleading amber eyes didn't fill her with much confidence.

Ruby took a breath as she came to stand at the head of the table.

"W-well girls," Weiss didn't seem to move a muscle as Ruby stuttered, "I'm done with the scheduling for the next semester. All of it." The girl put on a smile, though it felt as frigid to wear as the air surrounding the team, especially after her verbal blunder.

Weiss would have been skeptical to hear her say something like that normally, much to Ruby's annoyance. She'd grumble about how Weiss wasn't being fair and show off her hard work in an effort to have the heiress praise her in any way possible. Yang would ruffle her hair, and Blake would watch while hiding an amused smile behind a book.

This Weiss, sitting at the table with them, did little more than grunt.

"I reserved the aquatic training center for a few days here and there. Goodwitch was surprised to see me." Ruby watched her partner for any change, any other reaction at all. As far as herself, Blake, and Yang could tell, she'd listen, and respond rarely.

They knew better than to ask if she was listening, lest that cold stare be turned to them.

There was a silver lining there. The other day, when it all started, her mood had been much worse. She wouldn't say anything at all unless she was snapping back in a snarl. Whatever happened, her anger had cooled from a boiling rage to a simmer, for now.

Ruby hadn't had the best sleep after that. None of them had, Weiss included. The rest of the team was up well before Weiss though. They let the white-haired girl take the first shower, and she subsequently spent nearly a half an hour in the washroom. None of them bothered her.

Instead, they'd talked. The three of them knew something had happened, but what?

Perhaps more importantly, what could they do to help?

"She was okay with that?" Yang asked, Ruby silently thanking her sister for breaking the growing silence.

"Apparently it's first come, first serve." Ruby responded, though she glanced at her partner before nodding to Yang. "Last semester we first-years were at a disadvantage because our seniors took up all the time as soon as they could, but if we use the time we have to the fullest, it'll give us an edge over other teams in the Vytal Tournament."

"If we participate."

Ruby winced as Weiss let out that biting retort. RWBY's leader turned her eyes to her partner, before following Weiss' stony gaze.

The heiress sighed, staring at her casted arm. "Foolish."

The silence after Weiss' words lingered. Back in the dorm, Yang had suggested they try to stay as upbeat as they could, and let Weiss get out of her funk on her own – that she was too proud to accept the help, like with her current disability. But the tension in the air was suffocating. It was so hard to be cheerful, or even to act cheerful in Weiss' presence right now.

The light clicking and scraping of trays against tables resounded a few paces behind where Ruby stood, and Weiss returned her attention to her food, fingers tightly wrapped around her utensils – though it barely looked like it had been touched.

A glance over her shoulder proved that Blake's theory had been right.

Team JNPR seemed to be in a similar state, from what Ruby could see, at least. They smiled, but something was wrong. That they were all just putting on brave faces, even Jaune.

Especially Jaune. He glanced at Weiss, and his smile faltered. Then he turned his gaze to his food, picked up his fork, and speared something.

Something happened between Jaune and Weiss. It was obvious. Both were acting strangely, and from what Ruby could tell on Weiss' side of things, it got worse when they were near each other.

Ruby took a breath in through her nose. She needed to do what she could right now, at the very least. She shuffled around the end of the table and sat directly across from Weiss – between her and JNPR.

It was more than just awkward, being the only one sitting across from Weiss. She was the only one of the two teams not facing each other, her back to JNPR, her front to her teammates.

Weiss' lips parted for a moment. Everyone waited, and after a tense silence, the heiress only let out a sigh.

"I'm not hungry yet." Ruby assumed that was the answer to the question that failed to leave Weiss' lips. "I'll just get something later." With a soft smile, she pushed the stack of papers closer to Weiss.

The heiress scoffed when she saw the title page. That made Ruby proud in its own twisted way.

One step at a time.

* * *

"So... feel like doing anything, Jaune?"

It was such an open, honest question. When the blond boy looked back into Nora's piercing eyes, he tried to relax his shoulders and smiled weakly. At the end of an arduous day, the first of Beacon's second semester, all he had wanted to do was think, relax, and regret.

It wasn't a fair question, Jaune knew. Nora wasn't nearly as oblivious as she made herself out to be. Nor was Pyrrha, or even Ren. They all believed something was wrong, and they all seemed to agree that it was best to feign ignorance.

As much as they were right, he hated it.

"Sure, I suppose I wouldn't mind." The boy leaned back on his bed, arms locked behind him as he stared up at the ceiling. "What're you thinking?"

"Wanna play a game? Some Ninja Fighters V: Unity Extreme?" Nora waved the controller in front of his face. "Oh, we could have a tournament, between the four of us! Ren! Reeeen!"

Jaune couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Nora's enthusiasm. He hated to assume it was something she was doing as an act, and it just felt too natural. Maybe she was getting caught up in trying to make him feel better?

The blond quashed those thoughts. He knew better than to think everything was done for him, or that even what they were doing was for his benefit. Perhaps Nora really did just want to hang out and play games. It certainly didn't seem like she was forcing herself.

He closed his eyes as he felt Nora take a step away, and frowned to himself. How easy things would be if he just knew what everyone was thinking.

Jaune didn't come to Beacon expecting it to be easy. He'd known very little, but he'd at least realized it would be beyond difficult to fit in – to become a huntsman. Perhaps he'd been taking more for granted than he had realized. He had his team, his friends, and most importantly-

His fingers dug into his sheets, as what felt like fire burned through his heart. He couldn't do anything about that now. Not even if he tried. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do. He couldn't even apologize.

Jaune could barely even remember what he'd said to her.

The boy was groaning to himself before he knew it, sitting up. He looked to Ren, the boy engaging Nora in a set of one to two word replies as she pestered him, controller in hand. Pyrrha sat on the edge of her own bed as she pensively looked out the window. She'd been quiet, recently.

If anything, she seemed... lonely.

With a deep breath in and out, the mock knight pushed himself up from his bed, striding over to where Pyrrha sat. He looked down at her, as she turned to him.

The boy turned, and sat abruptly, Pyrrha bouncing with his impact as he sighed.

"Jaune?" The redheaded girl let out quietly, though he didn't turn to face her.

"You've been staring out the window for a while. What's up?" He didn't know what he was doing, only that he felt like he needed the company. No, perhaps more accurately, Pyrrha herself looked like she needed company.

"I'm just thinking." His partner trailed off. Jaune wasn't sure how to describe it, but she seemed at a loss for words, as if she hadn't been expecting this. "Are you okay, Jaune?"

"Never better." He lied, staring at the floor.

"I see."

The boy drew his lips tight. What an abrupt end to their conversation. He felt like-

"You're lying, aren't you."

Jaune turned to Pyrrha, a response on his breath, but he held it in as he met her eyes. Why was it that everyone at Beacon seemed to just see right through him? He wouldn't say he was a good liar, or anything, but he'd done a good job so far, right? After all, not even his team knew that he was there illegitimately.

He supposed that was crazy, though. How could the leader of a team of huntsman and huntress hopefuls at Beacon Academy be a fraud? Who'd allow it? How could he prove himself to be so capable when he'd come here with barely any experience in the first place?

The first time he'd ever confronted a Grimm had been in the Emerald Forest, during Initiation. He'd always wanted to be a huntsman, but he hadn't known how terrifying it would be. The others didn't even flinch in the face of such foes. The Deathstalker, the giant Nevermore...

Sure, when it had come down to it, his feet moved, he'd held his shield, and he'd fought all the same.

"Have you ever been afraid to fight, Pyrrha? Grimm or... or otherwise?"

The girl seemed to take a moment to process his question, and in that moment Jaune noticed the chattering of Nora and Ren's responses had ceased.

"No." Pyrrha answered back, lips drawing a narrow line. "I can't remember a time I was afraid to fight. Concerned or nervous, maybe worried about an outcome, yes. But never afraid."

Silence hung off of Jaune's shoulders as he considered her words. He turned to look over his shoulder, confirming that Nora and Ren had been listening in.

Nora hummed before walking over to Pyrrha's bed as well. She sat on the edge of it, her back to Jaune as she spoke. "I used to be."

That was all the excitable, usually loud-spoken girl said, as she looked up to Ren. Unable to see Nora's face, some unspoken exchange occurred between the girl and her partner.

"I'm afraid of what could happen if I don't fight." Ren crossed his arms and looked to the floor.

Jaune's lips parted. His team had answered quickly, and without question. Ren's answer was logical, Nora's made him curious, and if he was being honest with himself, Pyrrha's scared him a little.

But they'd all answered, so now he needed to in turn.

"I'm terrified of fighting." Jaune admitted. Whether that was the truth or not, he was wholly unsure, but that was what his gut was telling him right now. "Whenever I do, I always end up at the worst possible outcome."

"That's not true." Pyrrha rebutted. Jaune felt her hand settle on his shoulder as she spoke. "You might not see it so easily, but you've improved since coming to Beacon. You're a much better fighter than you were during initiation."

He knew that was true as well. The blond shook his head. "That's..."

Pyrrha's fingers squeezed slightly. "Whatever happened, you need to stop beating yourself up about it."

As Jaune turned to face her, he froze. The girl's brilliant green eyes glared into his.

"I'm no mind-reader, but I think I understand," she continued. "You've been blaming yourself for what happened to Weiss, and you think if it was anyone else, things would have turned out better."

But that was true, wasn't it? If it had been anyone else-

"What would have happened if you weren't there? If Weiss had gone alone?" Pyrrha jabbed a finger into his chest aggressively. "Did you ever think about that?"

Yes, he had, but-

"No one else could have done what you did." Pyrrha tacked on, poking his chest again. "No one else was there for Weiss." Another poke. "She didn't ask anyone else but you for help, isn't that right? Sure, maybe if she got everyone involved, things would have turned out better, but she chose you, Jaune."

 _'She chose me?'_

"Do you regret going with her? Do you think she should have trusted someone else with it?"

He-

"Did you do everything in your ability to help her? You spared no effort?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the real issue here?"

Jaune's lips parted, and his breath hitched as he made to speak. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, and his eyes closed slowly. The blond calmed himself and looked for the answer.

Pyrrha was right. It was simple, really. In hindsight they could have been more prepared for that night. They could have done so much more.

But they hadn't, and he had done all he could when the time came.

"I... you're right." The blond acknowledged, hanging his head. "What happened that night wasn't the worst possible outcome, but... it was the best we could have hoped for."

He'd been pinning the blame on himself, and how poorly prepared he'd been – how pitifully weak he'd been when he'd first come to Beacon.

Jaune never even stopped to consider they'd been in over their heads from the very start. What could they have done? Really?

The blond turned his thoughts to what was really troubling him now and found he couldn't fix what he'd done. Not right now.

The blond nodded slowly and straightened his back. Pyrrha released his shoulder.

He couldn't do anything right now – he'd seen Weiss earlier, in the cafeteria. That wasn't a Weiss that wanted an apology or consoling words.

Jaune turned.

He couldn't do anything to help what he'd done to Weiss but give her time. But there was something he could do, here, when he was feeling lost. The eyes of his teammates were centered on him. Pyrrha's, Ren's, and Nora's. Something he'd possibly been neglecting all this time.

They needed him as much as he needed them.

"You ready to eat dirt, Nora?"

* * *

"It was then that I wrestled the spider-like creature to the ground, drove my axe into its abdomen, and pulled two of its legs off with my bare hands! Hah!"

Blake's jaw was beginning to get sore from how long she'd been forcing herself to smile while Professor Port rambled on about how he had a one-on-twenty anatomy lesson with a colony of oversized Skitters.

As the rotund instructor began gesticulating more in front of another desk of her comrades. Blake took the moment to let her facial muscles relax, sighing and turning to her right. It was only the second day of the first semester, so responsibilities were lax. There wasn't much to busy her mind – nothing to focus on beyond her team's current strife.

Weiss' mood hadn't improved since the other day, though there was a slight irregularity – when they'd gotten back to their dorm after a long day of walking on eggshells around the heiress, Weiss had asked to borrow one of her books.

Blake hadn't been about to turn her down.

The girl read in bed until the early evening. She refused to get up for supper, and when the three other members of RWBY had returned from the meal, she'd been under the covers, sleeping peacefully.

Today had been just as uneventful – though Yang had verbally made her impatience known when they'd had a few moments alone earlier. It was then that the blonde decided that they needed to do something.

She didn't hesitate to involve Blake in her schemes. A couple of seats down, Yang smiled back to her, and the faunus girl rolled her eyes in response.

Class was almost over. She'd need to move quickly.

"The bodies of Skitters dissipate much slower than the other creatures of Grimm, so I was in luck. I swung the barbed leg of my fallen prey back, and the bone ripped right through the skull of its brethren! A leg in both hands, I spun and cleaved through my foes!"

Blake tapped her fingernail on her desk, casually looking around – and smiled when it seemed like Professor Port's gaze swept her way. She checked the clock.

"I was able to find my axe amid the dissolving corpses, and I began the long trek home." The man's moustache smiled as he threw his arms out broadly. Blake raised her eyebrow as a few of the students clapped. "Now then, take my lesson to heart students, and may you have as much success hunting Skitters as I!"

Blake took that as a dismissal, and stood, books already secured under her arm. She practically leapt over her desk as she turned to her team. "I've been holding it in, I'll see you guys in the library!"

"Okay!" Ruby's voice was drowned out behind her as the rest of the class seemed to be in a rush to get out as well. Blake dashed past them all, and her fingers wrapped around a certain blond's wrist.

All Blake heard from Jaune was a muffled sound of surprise as she dragged him to his feet. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, even as Blake pushed her books into his arms and gathered his. "Come on, let's go."

The boy's wrist still securely in her grasp, Blake tugged him along with a grimace. Around a corner, down a hall, and into an empty classroom, she pushed him up against a wall.

"Hey, what's-"

"What happened?" The girl got straight to it, hand pinning him as she stared into his eyes. The books she'd been holding fell to their feet, and a faint hint of almonds hit her nostrils. "Whatever you're willing to tell me, but we need something."

The boy swallowed and looked to the side. Blake breathed slowly.

"Listen, I myself don't care what this is all about. What I do care about is having a very temperamental Weiss Schnee in my dorm room, in my classes, at my lunch table, and generally around me at all times." The girl took a breath, before continuing. "As far as I can tell, you haven't spoken to her since whatever happened happened, so we have an idea what's going on, but no details, and certainly no solution."

Jaune's mouth parted, then closed, then again and again. His eyes seemed to wander as he considered what to say. Blake eased off, letting go of his wrist and removing her hand from his chest.

"I said things that Weiss didn't want to hear." Jaune claimed, eyes pointing downwards.

"That's helpful." Blake mentioned dryly. She crossed her arms, waiting for him to elaborate.

To the blond's credit, he seemed to realize that, covering his mouth as he stifled a yawn. "I don't think me telling you is going to change much, is all... This is my error to fix, and Weiss probably doesn't want to hear me out yet."

Blake sighed, leaning back against a chair. "I hate to say it, but I agree. We can't do much for her, but it's getting on everyone's nerves. Even Ruby."

"Has she been doing okay?"

"Ruby, or Weiss?"

"Well... Weiss." The boy confirmed sheepishly.

She'd expected him to ask. "It's like she's putting up walls around herself, and only opening the window to let some air in once she starts suffocating."

 _'Please don't tell me I have to explain that analogy.'_

The way the blond stared at her forced a sigh out of Blake. "She only talks to us when she thinks she needs to. She doesn't ask for help with her arm anymore, either. She's just as stubborn as she was when she got out of the infirmary."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." Blake retorted, frowning. "Out of the respect I have for your friendship with Weiss, I won't press you for answers, but... If there's a way for you to make this easier for all of us, please, do what you can?"

Jaune nodded, bumping his fist into his chest with a grin that just seemed uncharacteristic, given the discussion. "On whatever honor I have left."

Blake winced, but offered a small smile in return. Both her and Yang had known Jaune would be able to give them answers, but they'd been concerned about him too, in a way. Whatever happened, it hadn't just been affecting Weiss, so after that comment, Blake felt compelled to ask:

"How about you?" The girl tugged on her bow idly, ensuring it was in place. "You... doing okay?"

Jaune stifled another yawn. "Tired, but..." He smiled. "My team straightened me out. Nora gave me a talking to when they realized I hadn't done the scheduling yet."

"Nora did?" Blake quizzed with a raised brow.

The blond chuckled. "She felt a little guilty about convincing me to play games before I'd done it, so she took it out on me. I stayed up late to finish it, and now I need to stop by Goodwitch's. She probably wants to chew me out too."

"I can only imagine." JNPR must have had it rough, Blake realized. It was Jaune, after all.

A few moments passed, and Jaune held out his hands. Then Blake realized he had her books, and she'd dropped his. With her cheeks slightly warm, she took her books, and watched as Jaune picked up his own.

"Sorry about dragging you away like this. Yang's idea." Blake admitted. "Port's class is the only one we have with you alone in it, and we didn't exactly want Weiss to notice."

"Yeah, don't worry, I get it." The blond stood, dusting off a textbook. "But yeah, all I can say is that Weiss needs a little time. I'll talk to her when she's ready, so..."

Blake smiled. "You're very earnest, aren't you?" The girl made her way to the empty classroom's exit and turned to Jaune, the boy having remained in place. "We'll try to soften her up for you. At least, that's what Yang would probably say."

As the boy nodded, Blake pushed the doorway open, and walked out. Students passed by, and Blake fell in behind them, her destination and what she'd learned in mind.

Jaune and Weiss had a fight – probably during their training. Whatever was said, Weiss hadn't forgiven Jaune for it yet. It had to have been something pretty serious though, if they were both so shaken up by it.

Walking down the halls, Blake continued trying to put the pieces together. It had been during their morning training as well, hadn't it? Something either party had said sparked a bigger argument, and the bigger argument led to Jaune saying something he shouldn't have.

Something that had to have been bothering Jaune, or so Blake assumed. He didn't seem the type to try to cut someone else down. Did he blame himself for Weiss' injury? Weiss was prideful, so...

Her deliberation slowed as she passed a bookshelf and spotted her three teammates sitting around a table. A board was laid out, pieces atop it, and a neat layer of cards before each seat.

"Oh, hey, we were just getting set up." Yang called out with a smile. "You took long enough, though."

She examined the scene before her and was honestly puzzled. "What's... this?"

Weiss was seated across from Yang, while Ruby mirrored an empty spot. The blonde girl grinned openly, Ruby seemed vaguely nervous, and Weiss...

The heiress sat with arms crossed, chin tucked into her chest, staring up at Yang as if trying to set her alight. Her lips parted:

"I won't lose."

* * *

Weiss didn't even know how it happened. She understood how to play the game, and she knew the others – sans Blake – were too competitive to lose on purpose, so how?

How did she end up with such a commanding lead?

Her eyes flickered across the board, jaw clenched as she drew another card. Another asset for her, how fun.

Fun?

Yang had said this game was intended to be played with four players, one per kingdom. If there were three players, the fourth kingdom would be neutral territory. If it was only two players, each would have two kingdoms. The white-haired heiress had said time and time again that she didn't want to play, but Yang had set up her side of the table regardless. She'd resolved to just go through the motions to keep her team off her back.

Then Yang had brought her pride as a Schnee into it. She grit her teeth.

It was the one thing she had left.

With a scowl, Weiss moved her piece from over Mantle, and settled it into an ocean tile, thus ending her turn. Yang and Ruby both clicked their tongues in sync. The heiress watched as they furiously studied the cards they had in their hands.

"You're ruthless." Yang sighed as Ruby drew a card.

Was she? Probably.

"Yang, if we trade your spice ships for my... um..." Ruby looked over the board, standing up slightly to get a better angle.

"Weiss would draw two cards next round because we'd be in alliance."

Ruby grumbled as Weiss looked to her arsenal. If she drew two cards, she might just be able to pull off a domination victory, if she read the rules correctly. She grinned maliciously.

Ruby made her move, and then Yang drew a card as the younger sister pulled her knees up into her chest. Yang let out a loud whoop and played the card immediately.

After a long-winded explanation, Weiss lost half her cards, and her piece moved back to Mantle. She stared at the board and considered her options.

"Whoa, board game? Looks pretty cool."

It was a voice Weiss couldn't recall hearing, but she refused to look over her shoulder. The others' expressions of confusion and uncertainty were enough for her as she crossed her arms and continued strategizing.

"Who're you?" Ruby asked, Blake putting her book down for a moment.

"Name's Sun. This is Neptune. We're from Haven."

Other students, then. Weiss blinked as she drew a card now that it was her turn. She was honestly surprised more hadn't started showing up, or maybe they had. She didn't know.

"Mind if we watch?" Neptune – the other boy – asked. "Not a whole lot to do around here."

Yang shrugged, and the boys skirted around the table, Weiss glancing up at the one on her right. She didn't necessarily like nor hate what she saw, but his flashy grin and the way he leaned in over Ruby's shoulder...

Weiss drew a breath in and didn't otherwise react. He looked too much like Jaune, if Jaune walked around with an open shirt. Her eyes caught his tail, but she turned away. Correction: He looked too much like Jaune, if Jaune walked around with an open shirt and was a faunus. The boy who stood on Blake's side of the table seemed cool and confident – well dressed, and stylish. His eyes met hers.

"Why so down, Snow Angel?" He flashed her a smile, hand resting on the back of Blake's chair.

The girl stared into his eyes for a moment, then looked away, lips turned downwards in a frown, and grit her teeth. She examined her hand and tried to ignore how much she hated everything right now. She was in no state to associate with anyone but her team.

Neptune backed up and moved around to the other side of Blake's chair. He bent his knees so he was level with Yang. He whispered to her, but Weiss could still hear him. "She's uh... quiet?"

"Now's not the best time."

Weiss glared at Yang, hearing her teammate's response. That was what she thought, huh? Well, the heiress supposed it wasn't like she was giving them much of a choice.

She didn't have the will to do much of anything but consider what she'd said, what she'd done, and what that idiot across the hall had said and done.

She knew her team had been trying to break her out of this called funk, but the reality was she didn't want to do anything else.

Not until Jaune came crawling back to her, begging forgiveness.

 _'What an imbecile.'_

She slammed her piece back onto the tile she'd been on before Yang's card moved her. The table and all the pieces shook as the others flinched.

"Ah, got it." Neptune tacked on as a response, shuffling around Yang's chair to stand next to Sun.

Neither of the boys said anything for the next few rounds, which left Weiss in her own head more than she wanted to be.

 _'That idiot trampled all over how you felt.'_

Weiss drew a card and moved her piece to Vytal.

 _'Then you slapped him.'_

Ruby moved her piece to Vale.

 _'Then you ran away.'_

Yang played a card, moving two extra spaces.

 _'You didn't even give him a chance. You still haven't.'_

Growling, the heiress pulled two cards from her hand, and slapped them both on the table. After Ruby and Yang resolved their turns wordlessly, she played another.

Ruby dropped all her cards onto the table and hung her head in frustration.

"So, it's just you and me, Weiss." Yang grinned.

The heiress rubbed her neck, and stared down the blonde, whose grin quickly faded.

"O-okay..." Yang drew a card, and they continued.

 _'You know this is more your fault than his, don't you?'_

She bit her lip.

 _'It's all your fault.'_

"Shut up." She whispered to herself, staring at her casted hand. She glanced around to ensure no one heard her.

Blake's eyes met hers, and Weiss looked back to her cards in shame.

* * *

Drumming his fingers against his thigh, Jaune Arc waited nervously in place.

He glanced around the office, taking it all in. He'd always thought of Professor Goodwitch as a professor first, and a person second. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it was odd to glance around her office and see just how human the blonde instructor was. There were picture frames spaced across bookshelves, featuring stills of the professor with various faces, a few familiar, and many more that were not.

The professor herself sat across from him, neck tilted and pen in hand as she scanned some documents. He'd been late, and she'd been working when he'd come in. She'd offered a greeting, then instructed him to sit.

That was it. Their postures hadn't changed since, and not a word had been said.

"You have a cat, Professor?" Jaune quizzed, trying to think of a way to make conversation.

"Do I look the sort to own a cat, Mr. Arc?"

The verbal riposte caught Jaune off guard, and he scrambled for an answer. "Uhh... yes?"

Goodwitch shook her head softly and continued going through the paperwork. A moment passed in stressed silence.

"I have two." The professor's hand moved, without her looking, and she turned a picture frame that had been facing away from him – or perhaps, towards Goodwitch herself – towards him. Two masses of fluff stared back at him from beyond the glass panel of the frame. They seemed to be sitting on a table or counter of sorts when the picture was taken.

"Oh, they're cute." Jaune admitted, leaning in to get a closer look.

"The one on the right is Mitzy. The other is Chel."

"Mitzy and Chel, huh."

When Jaune turned his eyes back to the professor, the paperwork she had before her was neatly stacked and set aside. Her bespectacled eyes peered at him, and the boy backed into his seat, swallowing the lump that had grown in his throat.

She sighed. "Do you know why I've asked you here, Mr. Arc?"

"Not really? I was hoping you'd be able to tell me."

Fingers tented, the woman's lips drew tight. "I have a few follow-up questions for our investigation into what happened at the docks."

 _'Oh. Of course.'_

"Is there anything you might have withheld during the earlier questioning with the police that you may want to share with me?" The blonde professor adjusted her glasses, retrieving a folder from where it sat at the side of her desk.

Jaune narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "I told them everything."

"Of course, you did." Goodwitch agreed, opening the folder across the desk. She picked up a small stack of papers, shuffling through them. "Are there any gaps in your memory? Something you remember that feels out of sequence?"

The boy drew his brow tight in thought. They'd arrived at the yard, poked around, Torchwick and the White Fang showed up, they'd fought, Weiss got injured, Ozpin arrived, and the others fled...

His fingers twitched. He'd forgotten something...?

They'd fought, the Weiss got injured.

Weiss got injured.

He ran towards her.

Someone had tried to stop him.

They didn't.

Jaune's legs shook. He remembered the feeling, now. Pulling his sword free, the fresh corpse dropping to his feet. He'd gotten in his way, and there hadn't been any time to think. There was nothing to be done about that.

"It looks like I don't need to remind you, then."

He looked up at the woman across from him, and averted his eyes, nodding solemnly.

"I called you here to inform you that I've made the necessary appointments with our psychiatrist. Whether you think you need to see her or not, I'm legally obligated to inform you that they are mandatory."

Jaune nodded along, that gripping feeling not leaving his mind.

"That's all I needed you for." Goodwitch confirmed, returning the sheets to the file. "Your scroll should be updated with the dates and times of the appointments."

He nodded again, looking down at the professor's cats. He turned the picture frame back to her. "Thanks."

What bothered him more than killing the man, was that he could justify it.

The door latch clicked closed behind him. Jaune stretched his arms high above his head, tilting his neck from side to side until something popped in his back, the blond letting out a sigh. It did little to shake the uneasy feeling he had in his chest.

As he looked up and down the hall, a chill bit at Jaune's ankles. There were no students around, that he could tell – which was a little unusual. He drew his lips tight and stood in place for a few long moments.

Maybe it bothered him more than he wanted to admit it.

Chatter from around the corner hit his ears, and Jaune relaxed slightly. He turned, took a few steps-

The chill returned, even stronger.

He turned back.

At the other end of the hall, a head was poking out around the corner. At his current distance, he couldn't make out the facial features at all, but the long black hair was very telling as the girl hopped out into the hall.

She half-skipped, half-walked towards him, her 'tailed hair bobbing along. He'd seen that uniform a lot today.

Haven Academy.

As the girl drew closer and closer, Jaune realized she was a lot shorter than he'd initially figured. She held out a scroll to him.

Just as Jaune was about to check his pocket for his own scroll, he caught the words on the screen.

"Where's the nearest bathroom?" Jaune looked down to the girl, as she gesticulated sound coming from her mouth, before shaking her head rapidly. "Oh! Sure, I can show you the way."

The girl smiled broadly and gestured for Jaune to lead on, which he did.

She dutifully followed him.


End file.
